RT1R 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 

Jean  Versfelt  Preston 

UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00025764478 


-Z^z^/ 


EDWARD    STRATEMEYER'S    BOOKS 
©lb  ©Iorg  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.  Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
UNDER    DEWEY   AT    MANILA.  UNDER   OTIS    IN    THE   PHILIPPINES. 

A  YOUNG   VOLUNTEER    IN  CUBA.  THE   CAMPAIGN    OF  THE  JUNGLE. 

FIGHTING    IN    CUBAN    WATERS.  UNDER    MacARTHUR    IN    LUZON. 

Soloiers  of  fortune  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
ON   TO    PEKIN.  AT  THE    FALL  OF   PORT   ARTHUR. 

UNDER   THE   MIKADO'S    FLAG.       WITH    TOGO    FOR   JAPAN. 

Colonial  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
WITH    WASHINGTON    IN   THE  WEST.        ON   THE  TRAIL  OF   PONTIAC. 
MARCHING   ON    NIAGARA.  THE    FORT    IN   THE   WILDERNESS. 

AT  THE   FALL  OF   MONTREAL.  TRAIL  AND   TRADING    POST. 

ifcicart  Wax  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 

FOR  THE   LIBERTY  OF   TEXAS.  WITH    TAYLOR   ON   THE   RIO    GRANDE. 

UNDER   SCOTT   IN    MEXICO. 


9 


an^merican  Series 


Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
LOST  ON   THE  ORINOCO.  YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  AMAZON. 

THE  YOUNG  VOLCANO  EXPLORERS.       TREASURE  SEEKERS  OF  THE  ANDES. 
YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  ISTHMUS.  CHASED  ACROSS  THE  PAMPAS. 

©arte  Porter  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
DAVE  PORTER  AT  OAK  HALL.  DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH. 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS.       DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  RIVALS. 
DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL.     DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND. 
DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH.         DAVE  PORTER  AND  THE  RUNAWAYS. 
DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  CLASSMATES.     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS. 

3Lakeport  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
THE  GUN  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT.     THE  FOOTBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT. 
THE  BASEBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT.    THE    AUTOMOBILE    BOYS  OF  LAKE- 
THE  BOAT  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT.       PORT. 

THE  AIRCRAFT  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT. 

American  Bogs'  Biographical  Series 

Cloth.     Illustrated.     Price  per  volume  $1.25. 
AMERICAN    BOYS'    LIFE   OF  WILLIAM    McKINLEY. 
AMERICAN    BOYS'    LIFE   OF  THEODORE   ROOSEVELT. 


DEFENDING    HIS    FLAG.     Price  $1.50. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/daveporteringoldOOstra 


"A  nugget!    A  nugget  of  gold!  "  cried  Dave. — Page  276. 


■ 


2>ave  porter  Series 


DAVE    PORTER 
IN   THE   GOLD   FIELDS 

OR 

THE  SEAECH  FOR  THE  LANDSLIDE  MINE 

BY 

EDWAED    STRATEMEYER 

Author  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  "  The  Lakeport  Series," 
"  Pan-American  Series,"  "  Old  Glory  Series,"  etc. 

ILLUSTRATED   BY  WALTER   ROGERS 


'<><■ 


BOSTON 
LOTHROP,  LEE   &   SHEPARD  CO. 


Published,  August,  1914 


Copyright,  1914,  by  Lothrop,  Lee  &  Shepard  Co. 


All  rights  reserved 


Dave   Porter   in   the   Gold   Fields 


"ttotwool>  ipress 

Berwick  and  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass. 

U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 

"  Dave  Porter  in  the  Gold  Fields  "  is  a 
complete  story  in  itself,  but  forms  the  tenth 
volume  in  a  line  issued  under  the  general  title  of 
"  Dave  Porter  Series." 

The  series  was  begun  some  years  ago  by  the 
publication  of  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall,"  in 
which  my  young  readers  were  introduced  to  a 
typical  American  lad  at  a  typical  American  board- 
ing school. 

There  was  at  that  time  a  cloud  over  Dave's 
parentage,  and  to  clear  this  away  he  took  a  long 
sea  voyage,  as  related  in  the  next  volume,  entitled 
"  Dave  Porter  in  the  South  Seas."  Then  he  came 
back  to  school,  as  told  of  in  "  Dave  Porter's 
Return  to  School,"  in  which  he  gave  one  of  the 
local  bullies  a  much-needed  lesson. 

During  a  vacation  Dave  journeyed  to  Norway, 
as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  Far  North," 
and  then  came  back  to  Oak  Hall,  to  win  various 
honors,  as  recorded  in  "  Dave  Porter  and  His 
Classmates."  Then  came  an  opportunity  to  visit 
the  West,  and  how  our  hero  did  this  is  set  down 
in  the  book  called  "  Dave  Porter  at  Star  Ranch." 


iv  PREFACE 

When  he  returned  to  school  many  strenuous  hap- 
penings awaited  him,  and  what  they  were  will  be 
found  in  "  Dave  Porter  and  His  Rivals." 

Dave  had  lived  for  years  with  a  rich  manufac- 
turer of  jewelry,  and  when  this  man  was  robbed 
it  was  our  hero  who  followed  the  criminals  in  a 
long  flight,  as  told  in  "  Dave  Porter  on  Cave 
Island."  Then,  with  the  booty  in  his  possession, 
the  youth  returned  home,  to  go  back  to  school, 
from  which  he  soon  after  graduated  with  honors, 
as  shown  in  the  volume  preceding  this,  entitled, 
"  Dave  Porter  and  the  Runaways." 

In  the  present  volume  are  related  the  particu- 
lars of  another  trip  West,  taken  by  Dave  and  his 
chums  to  locate  a  lost  gold  mine,  willed  to  Roger 
Morr's  mother  by  her  brother.  The  boys  had 
some  strenuous  happenings,  and  some  of  their  old- 
time  enemies  did  all  they  could  to  bring  their 
expedition  to  grief.  But  Dave  showed  his  com- 
mon sense  and  his  courage,  and  in  the  end  all 
went  well. 

Once  again  I  thank  my  young  readers  for  the 
interest  they  have  shown  in  my  books.  I  trust 
that  the  reading  of  this  volume  will  benefit  them 
all. 

Edward  Stratemeyer. 

February  i,  19 14. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEH 

I.    The  Landslide  Mine    . 

II. 

Dave  Porter's  Past 

III. 

Caught  in  a  Storm 

IV. 

A  Question  of  Stocks  . 

V. 

A  Trap  for  Job  Haskers 

VI. 

Another  Surprise 

.    \    . 

VII. 

A  Gathering  of  Oak  Hall  Boys 

VIII. 

Fire  and  Firecrackers  . 

IX. 

What  Nat  Poole  Had  to  Tell 

X. 

Dave  at  Home 

XL 

Overheard  in  the  Summer-Housi 

i 

XII. 

On  the  Way  West 

XIII. 

Dave  Sees  Something  . 

XIV. 

In  Butte 

XV. 

At  Abe  Blower's  Home 

XVI. 

On  to  Black  Cat  Camp 

XVII. 

Along  the  Mountain  Trail 

XVIII. 

The  Stolen  Horses 

XIX. 

The  Newspaper  Clew  . 

XX. 

The  Exposure 

XXI. 

On  the  Back  Trail 

XXII. 

Dave  and  the  Mountain  Lion 

XXIII. 

In  the  Mountain  Cave 

XXIV. 

Searching  for  the  Landslide  Mine 

XXV. 

Caught  in  a  Storm 

V 

i 

CHAPTER 

CONTENTS 

PAGE 

XXVI. 

Prowlers  in  Camp        .... 

•       251 

XXVII. 

The  Two  Prisoners      .... 

.       26l 

SXVIII. 

The  Lost  Landslide  Mine    . 

.       270 

XXIX. 

Another  Landslide       .... 

•       279 

XXX. 

The  New  Claim — Conclusion 

.       288 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  A  nugget!    A  nugget  of  gold  !  "  cried  Dave  (Page  276) 

Fr07itispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

"  Brake  up,  Roger,  there's  a  tree  or  a  big  limb  ahead !  "  .      32 
As  Dave  looked,  he  saw  a  corner  of  a  distant  fence  fly 

apart 76 

They  waved  their  handkerchiefs,  and  the  boys  on  the 

platform  swung  their  caps 128 

But  this  time  Dave  was  too  quick  for  him.     He  pushed 

the  man  back 148 

"  Quick,  somebody  help  me !    Stop  that  horse  from  fall- 
ing over  the  cliff !  " 170 

As  he  pulled  the  trigger  of  the  pistol,  the  mountain  lion 

jumped  at  him 222 

"  If  you  locate  that  mine  before  we  do,  don't  you  dare 

to  remove  any  of  my  uncle's  landmarks !  "  .       .       .     252 


DAVE   PORTER   IN   THE 
GOLD   FIELDS 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  LANDSLIDE  MINE 

"  Roger,  that  sounds  like  a  fairy  tale — a  real 
gold  mine  belonging  to  your  mother  lost  through 
a  landslide!  " 

"  So  it  does  sound  like  a  fairy  tale,  Dave;  but 
it  is  absolutely  true.  The  mine  was  owned  by  my 
uncle,  Maurice  Harrison,  of  Butte,  Montana,  and 
when  he  died  he  left  it  to  my  mother,  who  was  his 
sister.  On  the  day  he  died  there  was  a  big  land- 
slide in  the  mountains,  where  the  mine  was 
located, — and  that  was  the  end  of  the  mine,  as 
far  as  my  folks  were  concerned." 

"  You  mean  you  couldn't  find  the  mine  after  the 
landslide?  "  asked  Dave  Porter,  with  deep  interest. 

"  That's  it,"  answered  Roger  Morr.  "  The 
opening  to  it  was  completely  covered  up,  and  so 
were  the  stakes,  and  several  landmarks  that 
showed  where  the  mine  was  located." 

"  But    why    didn't    you    tell    of    this    before, 


2      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Roger?  "  asked  a  third  youth  of  the  group  seated 
on  the  lawn  of  Senator  Morr's  country  estate. 
"  Did  it  just  happen?" 

"  No,  Phil,  this  happened  last  fall,  about  nine 
months  ago.  The  reason  I  didn't  mention  it  to 
you  and  Dave  was  because  my  folks  wanted  it 
kept  quiet.  From  what  my  uncle  said  in  his  will, 
the  mine  must  be  very  valuable,  and  my  folks 
didn't  want  any  outsiders  to  re-discover  the  mine 
and  set  up  a  claim  to  it.  So  they  started  a  search 
on  the  quiet — hiring  some  old  miners  and  pros- 
pectors they  could  trust.  But  the  search  has  been 
in  vain." 

"Couldn't  they  discover  the  mine  at  all?" 
queried  Dave  Porter. 

"  No,  the  landslide  was  too  heavy  and  too  far- 
reaching.  The  old  miners  told  my  father  it  was 
the  biggest  landslide  known  in  Montana.  One 
prospector  said  he  thought  the  mine  must  now  be 
a  hundred  feet  or  more  underground." 

"  Had  your  uncle  worked  it  at  all?  "  questioned 
Phil  Lawrence. 

"  Not  much,  but  enough  to  learn  that  it  was  a 
valuable  claim.  It  was  in  a  district  that  had  been 
visited  by  landslides  before,  and  so  he  called  it  the 
Landslide  Mine." 

"  Well,  your  uncle  could  be  thankful  for  one 
thing — that  he  wasn't  in  the  mine  when  that  big 
slide  took  place.     But  you  said  he  died  anyway." 


THE  LANDSLIDE  MINE  3 

"  Yes,  of  pneumonia,  on  the  very  day  the  slide 
took  place.  Wasn't  it  queer?  Dad  and  mother 
went  out  to  Butte,  to  the  funeral — Uncle  Maurice 
was  an  old  bachelor — and  then  they  heard  his  will 
read  and  learned  about  the  mine." 

"  And  they  couldn't  get  any  trace  at  all, 
Roger?  "  asked  Dave,  as  he  stopped  swinging  in 
the  hammock  he  occupied. 

"  Nothing  worth  following  up.  One  of  the 
miners  thought  he  had  a  landmark  located,  but, 
although  he  spent  a  good  deal  of  money  digging 
around,  nothing  came  of  it.  You  see  that  big 
landslide  seemed  to  change  the  whole  face  of 
the  country.  It  took  down  dirt  and  rocks,  and 
trees  and  bushes,  and  sent  them  to  new  resting 
places." 

"  Perhaps  the  mine  was  washed  away  instead 
of  being  covered  up,"  suggested  Phil. 

"  No,  all  those  who  have  visited  the  locality 
are  agreed  that  the  entrance  to  the  claim  must 
have  been  covered  up." 

"  Say!  I'd  like  to  hunt  for  that  mine!  "  cried 
Dave  Porter,  enthusiastically. 

"  So  would  I,"  returned  Roger  Morr,  wist- 
fully. "  I  know  my  mother  would  like  to  have 
somebody  find  it — just  to  learn  if  it  is  really  as 
valuable  as  Uncle  Maurice  thought." 

"  Well,  if  you  two  fellows  go  West  to  look  for 
that  mine  you  can  count  on  having  me  with  you," 


4      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

put  in  Phil  Lawrence.  "  We  were  going  to  de- 
cide on  what  to  do  for  the  next  two  months.  If 
Roger  says  the  word " 

"  Oh,  I  could  do  that  easily  enough,"  said  the 
senator's  son.  "  But  Dave  wrote  that  he  had 
something  up  his  sleeve.  Maybe  his  plans  won't 
fit  into  this." 

11  But  they  just  will  fit  in !  "  cried  Dave.  "  At 
least,  I  think  they  will,"  he  added,  more  slowly. 
"You  say  this  mine  is  located  in  Montana?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  that  isn't  very  far  from  Yellowstone 
Park,  is  it?" 

"  No — in  fact  a  corner  of  the  Park  is  in  Mon- 
tana." 

"  Then,  while  the  others  were  taking  the  trip 
through  Yellowstone  Park  we  could  go  out  to 
that  mining  district  and  try  to  locate  this  missing 
mine,"  went  on  Dave,  with  a  smile. 

"What  are  you  talking  about,  Dave?"  ques- 
tioned his  two  chums,  in  a  breath. 

"  I'm  talking  about  a  personally-conducted  tour 
of  the  Park  that  some  folks  in  and  around  Crum- 
ville  are  getting  up.  Mr.  Basswood,  Ben's 
father,  is  at  the  head  of  it.  It's  a  sort  of  church 
affair.  They  have  got  my  folks  interested,  and 
my  Uncle  Dunston  says  he  will  go,  and  so 
will  Laura,  and  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  and  Jessie, 
and    half    a    dozen    others    you    know.      They 


THE  LANDSLIDE  MINE  5 

thought  maybe  we  boys  would  want  to  go, 
too." 

"Wow!  All  to  the  merry!  "  cried  Phil,  and 
leaping  out  of  the  willow  chair  he  occupied,  he 
turned  a  "  cart-wheel  "  on  the  lawn.  "  Say,  this 
fits  in  better  than  a  set  of  new  teeth,  doesn't  it?  " 
he  went  on,  enthusiastically. 

"  When  is  this  grand  tour  to  come  off?  "  asked 
Roger. 

"  It  starts  about  the  middle  of  July — just  two 
weeks  from  to-day.  The  plan  is  to  spend  about 
four  weeks  in  and  around  the  Park,  seeing  every- 
thing thoroughly.  You  know  there  are  some  fine, 
comfortable  hotels  there,  and  folks  like  Mrs. 
Wadsworth  don't  like  to  travel  in  a  hurry." 

"  Going  through  the  Park  would  certainly  be  a 
great  trip,"  said  Roger.  "  And  especially  with 
the  girls." 

"  We  could  travel  with  them  as  far  as — let  me 
see,  what's  the  name  of  the  place — oh,  yes,  Liv- 
ingston. That's  where  they  leave  the  main  line 
of  the  railroad  to  go  on  the  little  branch  to  the 
Park." 

"  Well,  if  they  spent  four  weeks  in  the  Park 
that  would  give  us  plenty  of  time  to  hunt  for  the 
mine,"  said  Phil,  thoughtfully.  "  But  it  would 
be  a  big  job." 

"  And  a  dangerous  one,"  added  Roger.  "  Re- 
member, where  there  have  been  several  landslides 


6      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

there  may  be  more.  Fact  is,  when  I  spoke  to  my 
dad  about  going  out  there,  he  shook  his  head  and 
said  I  had  better  keep  away — that  the  search 
ought  to  be  conducted  by  experienced  men  who 
understood  the  lay  of  the  land  and  all  that." 

"  Oh,  we  could  be  careful,"  returned  Dave, 
impulsively.  The  idea  of  going  in  search  of  the 
lost  mine  appealed  to  him  strongly. 

"  Sure,  we'd  be  careful,"  added  Phil.  "  Aren't 
we  always  careful?  All  aboard  for  the  Landslide 
Mine,  say  I !  Come  on,  if  you  are  going!  "  And 
he  grinned  broadly. 

"  Better  wait  until  after  lunch,"  returned  the 
senator's  son,  dryly.  "  We  might  have  something 
you'd  like  to  eat,  Phil." 

"  All  right,  just  as  you  say."  The  other  youth 
dropped  back  into  a  wicker  chair.  "  Say,  doesn't 
it  just  feel  good  to  think  that  we  have  graduated 
from  Oak  Hall  and  don't  have  to  go  back?  "  he 
added,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction. 

"  I'm  glad  I  have  graduated,  but  I  am  not  so 
glad  that  I  am  not  going  back,"  answered  Dave. 
"  We  had  some  good  times  at  the  Hall." 

"  So  we  did — dandy  times !  "  cried  Roger.  "  I 
tell  you,  I  shall  miss  Oak  Hall  a  great  deal.  I 
shall  miss  our  friends  and  also  our  enemies." 

"  Speaking  of  enemies,  I  wonder  what  ever  be- 
came of  old  Job  Haskers,"  said  Phil. 

"  I  don't  know  and  I  don't  want  to  know," 


THE  LANDSLIDE  MINE  7 

came  from  Dave.  "  I  never  want  to  see  that 
good-for-nothing  teacher  again.  I  am  glad,  on 
account  of  the  fellows  left  at  Oak  Hall,  that  the 
doctor  discharged  him." 

"  So  am  I,"  put  in  the  senator's  son.  "  Just 
the  same,  Dave,  Haskers  will  try  to  get  square 
with  us  if  he  ever  gets  the  chance." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that.  But  I  don't  intend  to  give 
him  the  chance." 

"  Speaking  of  our  enemies,  I  wonder  what  ever 
became  of  Link  Merwell,"  said  Phil.  "  He  seems 
to  have  dropped  out  of  sight  completely." 

"  I  rather  imagine  he  has  left  the  country," 
returned  Roger.  "  For  if  he  was  around  at  all, 
some  of  the  school  fellows  would  be  sure  to  hear 
of  him.     Say,  he  certainly  was  a  bad  egg." 

"  Yes,  but  not  as  bad  as  Nick  Jasniff,"  said 
Dave.  "  I  am  glad  they  locked  that  fellow  up. 
He  was  an  out-and-out  criminal." 

"  Let  us  drop  those  fellows  and  get  back  to  this 
lost  mine,"  interrupted  Phil.  "  If  we  are  really 
going  out  to  Montana  we  ought  to  make  some 
sort  of  preparations  for  the  trip." 

"  Oh,  we've  got  two  weeks  to  do  that  in,  Phil," 
answered  Roger.  "  And  please  to  remember, 
Fourth  of  July  is  coming,  and  I  am  expecting 
several  of  the  other  fellows  here  to  help  celebrate. 
We  can  fix  it  up  about  that  western  trip  after  the 
Fourth." 


8      DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"Who  are  coming,  Roger,  did  you  hear?" 
asked  Dave. 

"  Shadow  Hamilton  for  one,  and  perhaps  Bus- 
ter Beggs  and  Luke  Watson.  I  asked  some  of  the 
other  fellows,  but  they  had  other  engagements. 
Old  John  went  down  to  the  post-office  for  letters 
a  while  ago.     Maybe  he'll  bring  news." 

"  Here  he  comes  now,"  cried  Dave,  as  he  saw 
a  colored  man-of-all-work  coming  along  the  road 
that  ran  in  front  of  the  Morr  estate.  "  And  he's 
got  a  bundle  of  letters." 

All  three  boys  ran  across  the  broad  lawn  to 
meet  the  colored  man. 

"Any  letters  for  me,  John?  " 

"  Don't  forget  me!  " 

"  Who's  the  pink  envelope  for?  " 

"  Letters  fo'  all  ob  yo'  young  gen'men,  I  'spect," 
returned  the  man-of-all-work.  "  Mebbe  yo'  kin 
sort  'em  out  better'n  I  kin,  Massa  Roger,"  he 
added.  "  My  eyesight  ain't  no  better'n  it  ought 
to  be."  And  he  handed  the  bunch  of  mail  over 
to  the  senator's  son. 

"  One  for  Phil  and  two  for  Dave,"  said  Roger, 
looking  the  mail  over.  "  And  four  for  myself. 
Pretty  good.  Here,  John,  take  the  rest  into  the 
house." 

Without  ceremony  the  three  chums  returned  to 
their  resting  place  on  the  shady  lawn  and  began 
the  perusal  of  their  letters. 


THE  LANDSLIDE  MINE  9 

"  Mine  is  from  my  father,"  said  Phil.  "  He 
is  going  to  take  a  trip  on  one  of  his  ships  to  Nova 
Scotia  and  he  wants  to  know  if  I  wish  to  go 
along." 

"  One  of  these  letters  is  from  Gus  Plum,"  said 
Dave.  "  He  is  going  to  Europe  with  his  folks. 
The  other  letter  is  from — er — from  Crumville." 

"  I'll  wager  it  is  from  Jessie  Wadsworth,"  re- 
marked Phil,  slyly.  "  Come,  Dave,  what  does 
the  lady  fair  say?  " 

"  Sends  her  best  regards  to  both  of  you," 
answered  Dave,  blushing.  "  She  writes  mostly 
about  that  proposed  trip  to  Yellowstone  Park, 
and  wants  to  know  if  you  fellows  are  going  along." 

"  One  of  these  letters  is  from  Luke  Watson  and 
he  will  be  here  to-morrow,"  said  Roger.  "  And 
another  is  from  Shadow  and  he  is  coming,  too. 
And  this  one — well,  I  declare !  Just  listen  to  this ! 
It's  from  Buster  Beggs.  And  Roger  read  as 
follows : 


"  I  will  be  along  for  the  Fourth.  I've  just  had 
a  letter  from  Sid  Lambert,  that  new  fellow  from 
Pittsburg.  He  says  he  knows  Link  Merwell  and 
met  him  about  a  week  ago.  He  says  Merwell  is 
very  bitter  against  you  and  Porter  and  Lawrence. 
Merwell  was  going  West  on  some  business  for  his 
father  and  then  he  was  coming  East.  I  would 
advise  you  and  your  chums  to  keep  your  eyes  peeled 
for  him.     He  can't  show  himself,  for  fear  of  ar- 


io    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

rest,  and  that  has  made  him  very  vindictive.  Sid 
tried  to  get  his  address,  but  Merwell  wouldn't 
give  it,  and  he  left  Sid  very  suddenly,  thinking 
maybe  that  some  one  would  put  the  police  on  his 
track." 


CHAPTER  II 

DAVE   PORTER'S   PAST 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that,  fellows?  "  asked 
Roger,  as  he  concluded  the  reading  of  the  letter. 

"  I  am  not  surprised,"  answered  Dave.  "  Now 
that  Merwell  finds  he  can't  show  himself  where 
he  is  known,  he  must  be  very  bitter  in  mind." 

"  I  thought  he  might  reform,  but  I  guess  I  was 
mistaken,"  said  Phil.  "  Say,  we  had  better  do  as 
Buster  suggests, — keep  our  eyes  peeled  for  him." 

"  We  are  not  responsible  for  his  position,"  re- 
torted Roger.     "  He  got  himself  into  trouble." 

"  So  he  did,  Roger.  But,  just  the  same,  a  fel- 
low like  Link  Merwell  is  bound  to  blame  some- 
body else, — and  in  this  case  he  blames  us.  I  am 
afraid  he'll  make  trouble  for  us — if  he  gets  the 
chance,"  concluded  Dave,  seriously. 

And  now,  while  the  three  chums  are  busy  read- 
ing their  letters  again,  let  me  introduce  them 
more  specifically  than  I  have  already  done. 

Dave  Porter  was  a  typical  American  lad,  now 
well  grown,  and  a  graduate  of  Oak  Hall,  a  high- 
class  preparatory  school  for  boys  located  in  one 
of  our  eastern  States. 


12    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

While  a  mere  child,  Dave  had  been  found  wan- 
dering beside  the  railroad  tracks  near  the  little 
village  of  Crumville.  He  could  not  tell  who  he 
was,  nor  where  he  had  come  from,  and  not  being 
claimed  by  any  one,  was  taken  to  the  local  poor- 
house.  There  a  broken-down  college  professor, 
Caspar  Potts,  had  found  him  and  given  him  a 
home. 

In  Crumville  resided  a  rich  jewelry  manu- 
facturer named  Oliver  Wadsworth,  who  had  a 
daughter  named  Jessie.  One  day  the  Wadsworth 
automobile  caught  fire  and  Jessie  was  in  danger 
of  being  burned  to  death,  when  Dave  rushed  to 
the  rescue  and  saved  her.  For  this  Mr.  Wads- 
worth was  very  grateful,  and  when  he  learned 
that  Dave  lived  with  Mr.  Potts,  who  had  been 
one  of  his  instructors  in  college,  he  made  the  man 
and  the  youth  come  to  live  with  him. 

"  Such  a  boy  deserves  to  have  a  good  educa- 
tion and  I  am  going  to  give  it  to  him,"  said  the 
rich  manufacturer,  and  so  Dave  was  sent  to 
boarding  school,  as  related  in  the  first  volume  of 
this  series,  entitled  "  Dave  Porter  at  Oak  Hall." 
There  he  made  a  host  of  friends,  including  Roger 
Morr,  the  son  of  a  United  States  senator;  Phil 
Lawrence,  the  son  of  a  rich  shipowner;  Shadow 
Hamilton,  who  loved  to  tell  stories;  Buster  Beggs, 
who  was  fat  and  jolly;  Luke  Watson,  who  was  a 
musician  of  considerable  skill,  and  many  others. 


DAVE  PORTER'S  PAST  13 

The  main  thing  that  troubled  Dave  in  those 
days  was  the  question  of  his  identity,  and  when 
one  of  his  school  rivals  spoke  of  him  as  a  "  poor- 
house  nobody  "  it  disturbed  him  greatly.  Re- 
ceiving something  of  a  clew,  he  went  on  a  long 
voyage,  as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South 
Seas,"  and  located  his  uncle,  Dunston  Porter,  and 
learned  for  the  first  time  that  his  father,  David 
Breslow  Porter,  was  also  living,  and  likewise  a 
sister,  Laura. 

After  his  great  trip  on  the  ocean,  our  hero  re- 
turned to  Oak  Hall,  as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter's 
Return  to  School."  Then,  as  he  had  not  yet  met 
his  father,  he  went  in  search  of  his  parent,  the 
quest,  as  told  of  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  Far 
North,"  taking  him  to  Norway. 

Glad  to  know  that  he  could  not  be  called  a  poor- 
house  nobody  in  the  future,  Dave  went  back  to 
Oak  Hall  once  again,  as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter 
and  His  Classmates."  He  now  made  more 
friends  than  ever.  But  he  likewise  made  some 
enemies,  including  Nick  Jasniff,  a  very  passionate 
fellow,  who  always  wanted  to  fight,  and  Link 
Merwell,  the  son  of  a  rich  ranchowner  of  the 
West.  Jasniff  ran  away  from  school,  while  under 
a  cloud,  and  Merwell,  after  making  serious 
trouble  for  Dave  and  his  chums,  was  expelled. 

Laura  Porter  had  a  very  dear  friend,  Belle 
Endicott,  who  lived  in  the  Far  West,  and  through 


H    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

this  friend,  Dave  and  his  chums,  and  also  Laura, 
and  Jessie  Wadsworth,  received  an  invitation  to 
spend  some  time  at  the  Endicott  place.  What 
fun  and  adventures  the  young  folks  had  I  have  set 
down  in  "  Dave  Porter  at  Star  Ranch."  Not  far 
from  Star  Ranch  was  the  home  of  Link  Merwell, 
and  this  young  man,  as  before,  tried  to  make 
trouble,  but  was  exposed  and  humbled. 

The  boys  liked  it  very  much  on  the  ranch,  but 
all  vacations  must  come  to  an  end,  and  so  the  lads 
went  back  to  school,  as  recorded  in  "  Dave  Porter 
and  His  Rivals."  That  was  a  lively  term  at  Oak 
Hall,  for  some  newcomers  tried  to  run  athletic 
and  other  matters  to  suit  themselves,  and  in  addi- 
tion Link  Merwell  and  Nick  Jasniff  became  stu- 
dents at  a  rival  academy  only  a  short  distance 
away. 

The  Christmas  holidays  were  now  at  hand,  and 
Dave  went  back  to  Crumville,  where  he  and  his 
folks  were  living  with  the  Wadsworths  in  their 
elegant  mansion  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town.  At 
that  time  Mr.  Wadsworth  had  some  valuable 
jewels  at  his  works  to  be  reset,  and  directly  after 
Christmas  came  a  thrilling  robbery.  It  was 
Dave,  aided  by  his  chums,  who  got  on  the  track 
of  the  robbers,  who  were  none  other  than  Jasniff 
and  Merwell,  and  trailed  them  to  the  South  and 
then  to  sea,  as  told  in  "  Dave  Porter  on  Cave 
Island."     After   many   startling   adventures   the 


DAVE  PORTER'S  PAST  15 

jewels  were  recovered  and  the  thieves  were 
caught.  But,  at  the  last  minute,  Link  Merwell 
managed  to  escape. 

When  Dave  Porter  returned  again  to  Oak  Hall 
he  found  himself  considered  a  great  hero.  But 
he  bore  himself  modestly,  and  settled  down  to 
hard  work,  for  he  wished  to  graduate  with  honors. 
His  old  enemies  were  now  out  of  the  way  and  for 
this  he  was  thankful. 

But  trouble  for  Dave  was  not  yet  at  an  end. 
One  of  the  teachers  at  Oak  Hall  was  Job  Haskers, 
a  learned  man,  but  one  who  did  not  like  boys. 
Why  Haskers  had  ever  become  an  instructor  was 
a  mystery.  He  was  harsh,  unsympathetic,  and 
dictatorial,  and  nearly  all  the  students  hated  nim. 
He  knew  the  branches  he  taught,  but  that  was  all 
the  good  that  could  be  said  of  him. 

Trouble  came  almost  from  the  start,  that  term, 
and  not  only  Dave,  but  nearly  all  of  his  chums  were 
involved.  A  wild  man — who  afterwards  proved 
to  be  related  to  Nat  Poole,  the  son  of  a  miserly 
money-lender  of  Crumville — tried  to  blow  up  a 
neighboring  hotel,  and  the  boys  were  thought  to 
be  guilty.  In  terror,  some  of  them  feared  arrest 
and  fled,  as  related  in  "  Dave  Porter  and  the 
Runaways."  Dave  went  after  the  runaways,  and 
after  escaping  a  fearful  flood,  made  them  come 
back  to  school  and  face  the  music.  The  youth 
had  a  clew  against  Job  Haskers,  and  in  the  end 


16    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

proved  that  the  wild  man  was  guilty  and  that  the 
instructor  knew  it.  This  news  came  as  a  thunder- 
clap to  Doctor  Clay,  the  owner  of  the  school,  and 
without  ceremony  he  called  Haskers  before  him 
and  demanded  his  resignation.  At  first  the  dicta- 
torial teacher  would  not  resign,  but  when  con- 
fronted by  the  proofs  of  his  duplicity,  he  got  out 
in  a  hurry;  and  all  the  other  teachers,  and  the 
students,  were  glad  of  it. 

"And  now  for  a  grand  wind-up!  "  Dave  had 
said,  and  then  he  and  his  chums  had  settled  down 
to  work,  and  later  on,  graduated  from  Oak  Hall 
with  high  honors.  At  the  graduation  exercises, 
Dave  was  one  of  the  happiest  boys  in  the  school. 
His  family  and  Jessie  and  several  others  came 
to  the  affair,  which  was  celebrated  with  numerous 
bonfires,  and  music  by  a  band,  and  refreshments 
in  the  gymnasium. 

"And  now  what  are  you  going  to  do  do?" 
Laura  had  asked,  of  her  brother. 

"  First  of  all,  he  is  going  to  pay  me  a  visit," 
Roger  had  said.  "  I  have  been  to  your  house  half 
a  dozen  times  and  Dave  has  hardly  been  to  our 
place  at  all.  He  is  to  come,  and  so  are  Phil  and 
some  of  the  others.  My  mother  wants  them,  and 
so  does  my  dad." 

"  Well,  if  the  others  are  to  be  there,  I'll  have 
to  come,  too,"  Dave  had  replied;  and  so  it  had 
been  settled,  and  that  is  how  we  now  find  the  boys 


DAVE  PORTER'S  PAST  17 

at  Senator  Morr's  fine  country  mansion,  located 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  village  of  Hemson.  Dave 
and  Phil  had  been  there  for  four  days,  and  Roger 
and  his  parents  had  done  all  in  their  power  to 
make  the  visitors  feel  at  home. 

"  Here  is  some  more  news  that  I  overlooked," 
said  Roger,  as  he  turned  over  one  of  his  letters. 
"  This  is  from  a  chum  of  mine,  Bert  Passmore, 
who  is  spending  his  summer  at  Lake  Sargola, 
about  thirty  miles  from  here.  He  says  they  are 
going  to  have  a  special  concert  to-morrow  after- 
noon and  evening,  given  by  a  well-known  military 
band  from  Washington.  He  says  we  had  better 
come  over  and  take  it  in." 

"  I  shouldn't  mind  taking  in  a  concert  like  that," 
replied  Phil.  "  I  like  good  brass-band  music  bet- 
ter than  anything  else." 

"  How  about  you,  Dave?  " 

"  Suits  me,  if  you  want  to  go,  Roger." 

"  We  could  go  in  the  car.  Maybe  ma  and 
dad  would  go,  too." 

Just  then  the  bell  rang  for  lunch,  and  the 
visitors  hurried  off  to  wash  up  and  comb  their 
hair.  Roger  went  to  his  parents,  who  were  in  the 
library  of  the  mansion,  and  spoke  about  the  band 
concert. 

"  I  can't  go — I've  got  to  meet  Senator  Barcoe 
and  Governor  Fewell  in  the  city,"  said  the  sena- 
tor.    "  But  you  might  take  your  mother,  Roger, 


1 8    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

and  maybe  some  of  her  friends.  The  big  car  will 
hold  seven,  you  know." 

"  Sure,  if  mom  will  go,"  and  the  youth  looked 
at  his  mother  with  a  smile. 

"  I  might  go  and  take  Mrs.  Gray  and  Mrs. 
Morse,"  said  Mrs.  Morr.  "  They  both  love 
music,  and  since  the  Grays  lost  their  money,  Mrs. 
Gray  doesn't  get  out  very  much.  I'll  call  them 
up  on  the  telephone  and  find  out,  Roger;"  and  so 
it  was  settled. 

But  the  other  ladies  could  not  go,  and  in  the 
end  Mrs.  Morr  decided  to  remain  home  also.  So 
it  was  left,  the  next  morning,  for  the  three  boys 
to  go  alone. 

"  I'll  take  the  little  four-passenger  car,"  said 
Roger.  "  No  use  in  having  the  big  car  for  only 
three." 

"  Boys,  Roger  tells  me  you  think  of  going 
West,"  remarked  Senator  Morr,  who  stood  near. 
He  was  a  big  man,  with  a  round,  florid  face  and 
a  heavy  but  pleasant  voice.  "  Think  of  trying  to 
locate  that  lost  mine !  Is  there  anything  you  lads 
wouldn't  try  to  do?  "  And  the  big  man  laughed 
in  his  bluff,  hearty  manner. 

"  Well,  it  won't  hurt  to  try  it,  Senator,"  replied 
Dave. 

"  Not  if  you  keep  out  of  trouble.  But  I  don't 
want  you  boys  to  go  to  that  neighborhood  and  get 
caught  in  another  landslide — not  for  all  the  gold 


DAVE  PORTER'S  PAST  19 

in  Montana,"  and  the  senator  shook  his  head  de- 
cidedly. 

"  Oh,  we'll  be  careful,  Dad,"  burst  out  Roger. 
"  You  know  we  are  always  careful." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  Roger.  Boys  are 
apt  to  get  reckless  sometimes — I  used  to  be  a  bit 
that  way  myself.  We'll  have  to  talk  this  over 
again — before  it's  settled,"  and  then  the  senator 
hurried  off  to  keep  his  appointment  with  the 
other  politicians. 

In  anticipation  of  the  trip,  Roger  had  had  the 
paid  chauffeur  of  the  family  go  over  the  four- 
passenger  touring-car  with  care,  to  see  that  every- 
thing was  in  shape  for  the  run  to  Lake  Sargola. 
The  lake  was  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  some 
eight  miles  long  and  half  a  mile  wide,  and  at  the 
upper  end  were  located  several  fine  hotels  and 
numerous  private  residences. 

The  boys  had  decided  to  go  to  the  lake  by  a 
roundabout  way,  covering  a  distance  of  about 
forty  miles.  They  left  at  a  little  after  ten  o'clock, 
calculating  to  get  to  the  lake  in  time  for  lunch. 
They  would  attend  the  afternoon  concert,  take 
Roger's  chum  out  for  a  short  ride  around  the  lake 
road,  and  then  return  to  Hemson  in  time  for  the 
evening  meal. 

Roger  was  at  the  wheel  and  it  was  decided  that 
Dave  and  Phil  should  ride  on 'the  back  seat,  so  as 
to  be  company  for  each  other.     Mrs.  Morr  came 


20    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

out  on  the  veranda  of  the  mansion  to  wave  them 
a  farewell. 

"Keep  out  of  trouble,  Roger!"  she  called. 
"  Remember,  there  are  a  good  many  autos  around 
the  lake,  and  some  of  the  drivers  are  very  fast 
and  very  careless." 

"  I'll  have  my  eyes  open,"  answered  the  boy. 
"  Good-by!  "  And  then  he  started  the  car,  put  on 
more  power,  and  swept  from  the  spacious  grounds 
in  grand  style. 

"  My,  but  it  is  going  to  be  a  warm  day!  "  re- 
marked Phil,  as  they  ran  into  a  streak  of  hot  air. 

"  I  hope  it  is  only  warm,"  replied  Dave,  as  he 
looked  at  the  sky. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean,  Dave?  "  asked  the 
shipowner's  son,  quickly. 

"  I  don't  much  like  the  looks  of  the  sky  off  to 
the  southwest.  Looks  to  me  as  if  a  storm  was 
coming  up." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that !  "  exclaimed  Roger.  "  We 
don't  want  any  rain." 

"  So  we  don't,  Roger.  But  we'll  have  to  take 
what  comes." 


CHAPTER  III 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM 


"Some  class  to  Roger's  driving!"  cried  Phil, 
as  the  little  touring-car  swept  along,  in  the 
direction  of  Lake  Sargola.  "  Roger,  if  you  ever 
want  a  recommendation  as  a  chauffeur " 

"  We'll  give  it  to  him  on  gilt-edged  paper,"  fin- 
ished Dave,  with  a  grin.  "  But,  I  say,  don't  make 
the  turns  quite  so  swift,"  he  added,  as  they  swept 
around  a  curve  at  such  speed  that  he  was  thrown 
up  against  Phil. 

"  Don't  get  scared — I  know  this  car  as  well  as 
Mary  knew  the  tail  of  her  lamb,"  responded  the 
senator's  son,  gayly.  "  Why,  we  are  only  making 
thirty-five  miles  an  hour,"  he  added,  half  reproach- 
fully. 

On  and  on  they  rolled,  up  hill  and  down  dale, 
and  through  several  villages.  At  one  spot  they 
went  through  a  flock  of  chickens,  that  scattered  in 
all  directions.  Not  one  was  touched,  but  an  old 
farmer  shook  a  hay-rake  at  the  boys. 

"  Kill  my  chickens  an'  I'll  have  th'  law  on  ye !  " 
he  yelled. 

ax 


22    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"Never  came  within  a  mile  of  'em!"  cried 
Roger,  gayly,  and  then  the  car  whirled  out  of 
hearing. 

As  they  passed  on,  the  lads  frequently  looked 
at  the  sky.  But  the  clouds,  that  had  been  gath- 
ering, appeared  to  drift  away  to  the  north- 
ward. 

"  Maybe  the  storm  is  going  around  us,"  sug- 
gested Phil. 

"  I  hope  so,"  answered  Dave.  "  I  don't  like  to 
travel  in  an  auto  in  wet  weather — too  much  dan- 
ger of  skidding." 

A  little  later  they  came  in  sight  of  the  lake  and 
the  first  of  the  cottages,  and  then  they  ran  up  to 
one  of  the  big  hotels.  A  young  fellow  on  the 
veranda  waved  his  hand  to  them. 

"There  is  Bert,  now!"  cried  Roger.  And 
then  the  young  fellow,  who  had  been  telephoned 
to  early  in  the  morning,  ran  down  the  steps  to 
meet  Roger  and  was  speedily  introduced  to  the 
others. 

"  It's  going  to  be  a  dandy  concert  this  after- 
noon," said  Bert  Passmore.  "  The  bandmaster 
is  going  to  play  one  of  his  new  marches  and  a 
medley  of  patriotic  airs,  as  well  as  a  piece  called 
'  A  Hunt  in  a  Storm.'     They  say  it's  fine." 

"  I  hope  they  don't  have  to  play  it  in  a  storm," 
returned  Dave,  with  another  look  at  the  sky. 

"  Oh,   that  storm   has  gone   the   other  way," 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  23 

answered  Bert  Passmore.  "  They  often  do  up 
here." 

"  Did  you  get  tickets?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  Sure;  and  I've  reserved  seats  for  you  at  our 
table,  too,  for  lunch,  and  for  dinner  to-night,  if 
you'll  stay." 

"  I  don't  know  about  to-night,  Bert.  But  I'm 
thankful  to  you,  just  the  same.  After  the  concert 
we  want  to  give  you  a  ride  around  the  lake." 

"That  will  be  fine!" 

The  car  was  put  under  the  hotel  shed,  and 
the  boys  went  in  the  hotel  to  prepare  for  lunch. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Passmore  were  present  and  were 
introduced,  and  a  little  later  all  sat  down  to 
eat. 

There  was  an  amusement  park  not  far  from  the 
hotel  and  the  band  concert  was  to  be  given  there, 
in  a  large  pavilion  that  was  open  on  the  sides. 
As  it  was  but  a  short  distance  away,  the  boys 
allowed  the  car  to  stay  in  the  shed  and  walked 
to  the  place.  A  big  crowd  was  collecting,  and  by 
the  time  the  concert  commenced,  the  spot  was 
jammed  with  people. 

"  It's  a  lucky  thing  your  friend  got  reserved 
seats  for  us,"  observed  Dave  to  Roger.  "  Just 
look  at  the  crowds  coming  in !  " 

Phil  had  gone  off — to  get  some  programs. 
Now,  as  he  pushed  his  way  to  his  seat,  his  face 
showed  unusual  excitement. 


24    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Guess  whom  I  saw !  "  he  gasped,  as  he  sat 
down. 

"  Who  was  it?  "  demanded  his  chums,  quickly. 

"  Job  Haskers." 

"  Never!  "  cried  Roger. 

"What  is  he  doing  here?  "  demanded  Dave. 

41 1  saw  him  for  only  a  moment,"  explained  the 
shipowner's  son.  "  He  was  right  in  the  crowd 
and  I  couldn't  follow  him." 

44  Was  he  alone?  "  asked  Dave,  with  increasing 
interest,  for  he  had  not  forgotten  the  trials  and 
tribulations  this  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall  had 
caused  him. 

44 1  don't  know  that,  either — there  were  so  many 
people  around  him." 

44  Maybe  you  were  mistaken,  Phil,"  said  Roger. 

44  Not  much !  I'd  know  Job  Haskers  out  of  a 
million." 

44 1  think  we  all  would,"  murmured  Dave. 
44  Did  he  see  you?" 

44 1  don't  think  he  did.  He  was  over  there — 
that's  all  I  know  about  it,"  and  Phil  pointed  with 
his  hand  into  a  crowd  on  their  left. 

44  We  can  take  a  look  around  for  him  between 
the  parts  and  after  the  concert,"  said  Dave;  and 
then  the  brass  band  struck  up  and  the  concert 
began. 

The  various  musical  numbers  were  well  ren- 
dered, and  encores  were  numerous.    The  concert 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  25 

was  divided  into  two  parts,  with  fifteen  minutes 
intermission,  and  during  that  time  the  boys  from 
Oak  Hall  and  Bert  walked  around,  the  former 
looking  for  Job  Haskers.  But  if  the  former 
teacher  of  Oak  Hall  was  present  the  boys  failed 
to  locate  him. 

During  the  second  part  of  the  concert  came  the 
wonderful  new  march  and  the  fantasy,  "  A  Hunt 
in  a  Storm,"  and  both  came  in  for  prolonged  ap- 
plause. Then  came  a  medley  of  national  airs, 
ending  with  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  at 
which  the  audience  arose;  and  the  performance 
came  to  an  end. 

"  Wasn't  it  fine !  "  cried  Roger,  enthusiastically. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Dave,  warmly.  "  I 
am  glad  we  came  over." 

"  Couldn't  have  been  better,"  was  Phil's  com- 
ment. 

"  Quarter  after  four,"  said  Roger,  consulting 
his  watch.  "  Bert,  we  can  take  you  around  the 
lake  with  ease  before  we  start  for  home." 

"  Yes,  and  you  can  have  dinner  with  us,  too, 
before  you  go,"  was  the  reply.  "  Now  don't  say 
'  No  ',  for  father  and  mother  expect  it,  and  so 
do  I." 

"  All  right,  then,  we'll  stay,"  answered  Roger, 
after  a  look  at  Dave  and  Phil.  "  We  can  start 
for  home  about  eight  o'clock,  or  half-past." 

The  boys  walked  back  to  the  hotel  shed  and  got 


26    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

out  the  touring-car.  Bert  took  the  vacant  seat 
beside  Roger,  and  away  the  party  bowled  over  the 
highway  that  ran  around  Lake  Sargola. 

"  I  wish  we  had  a  car,"  said  Bert.  "  But  dad 
won't  get  one,  because,  last  summer,  a  friend  of 
his  was  killed  in  an  automobile  accident." 

"  Well,  that's  enough  to  take  the  nerve  out  of 
any  one,"  was  Dave's  answer. 

The  car  rolled  on,  and  Bert  asked  about  the 
doings  of  the  boys  at  Oak  Hall,  and  told  of  life 
at  the  technical  training  school  which  he  attended. 
They  had  almost  circled  the  lake  when  Roger 
slowed  down. 

"  What  do  you  say  to  a  trip  to  the  top  of  Sugar 
Hill?"  he  asked. 

"  Sugar  Hill?  "  cried  Bert.  "Can  you  go  up 
that  hill  with  this  car?  " 

"Sure!"  was  Roger's  prompt  reply.  "It's 
pretty  steep,  I  know,  but  I'm  sure  I  can  make  it." 

"  It's  a  fine  view  from  there,  Roger.  But  the 
hill  is  pretty  steep  towards  the  end." 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  afraid  of  it."  The  senator's  son 
turned  to  the  others.    "  What  do  you  say?  " 

"  I'll  go  anywhere,"  declared  Phil. 

"  Same  here,"  laughed  Dave.  "  But  don't  be 
too  long  about  it,  Roger." 

"Why?" 

"  I  think  that  storm  is  working  its  way  back 
again." 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  27 

"Oh,  nonsense,  don't  be  a  croaker,  Dave!  It 
won't  rain  in  a  year  of  Mondays!"  cried  the 
senator's  son,  and  then  he  put  on  speed  once  more, 
and  headed  the  touring-car  for  Sugar  Hill. 

The  place  mentioned  was  an  elevation  about  a 
mile  back  from  the  lake.  It  was  almost  a  moun- 
tain in  size,  and  the  road  leading  to  the  top  was 
anything  but  a  good  one,  being  filled  with  ruts 
and  loose  stones.  But  the  engine  of  the  car  was 
powerful,  and  it  was  not  until  they  were  almost  to 
the  top  of  the  hill  that  Roger  had  to  throw  the 
gears  into  second  speed. 

"  Some  climb  and  no  mistake !  "  murmured 
Dave.     "Can  you  make  it,  Roger?" 

"  Top  or  bust!  "  was  the  laconic  answer. 

Scarcely  had  the  senator's  son  spoken  when 
there  came  a  loud  report  from  the  front  end  of 
the  car. 

"A  blowout!  "  gasped  Phil. 

"  The  front  tire  on  this  side  has  gone  to 
pieces!"  announced  Bert.  "Will  you  have  to 
stop?" 

"  Can't — not  here!  "  announced  Roger,  grimly. 
And  then  he  shut  his  teeth  hard  and  turned  on 
more  gasoline.  Up  and  up  they  bumped,  the 
burst  tire  cutting  deeply  into  the  rough  stones. 
But  the  power  was  there,  and  in  less  than  thirty 
seconds  more  the  car  came  to  a  standstill  on  the 
level  top  of  Sugar  Hill. 


28    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Phew;  that  was  a  narrow  shave!  "  remarked 
Bert,  as  the  boys  got  out  of  the  car.  "  Roger, 
what  would  you  have  done  if  you  couldn't  go 
ahead?    There  wasn't  room  to  turn." 

"I  knew  there  wasn't  room,  Bert;  that's  the 
reason  I  made  the  car  go  up,"  was  the  reply.  "  It 
was  a  bad  hole  to  get  caught  in." 

"  I  guess  it  cost  you  the  shoe,"  remarked  Dave, 
as  he  examined  the  article.     "  Pretty  well  cut  up." 

"  It  was  an  old  one,  anyway,  Dave.  Now  we'll 
have  the  pleasure  of  putting  on  one  of  those  new 
ones,"  and  he  smiled  grimly,  for  he  did  not  like 
that  task  any  better  than  does  any  other  autoist. 

11  Oh,  we'll  all  help,"  cried  Phil.  "  It  won't  be 
so  bad,  if  we  all  take  turns  at  pumping  in  the  air." 

"  Wish  I  had  one  of  those  new  kind  of  machine 
pumps  on  the  car,"  answered  Roger.  "  But  I 
haven't  got  it,  so  it's  got  to  be  bone  labor,  boys." 
And  then  the  damaged  wheel  was  jacked  up  and 
a  new  shoe  with  its  inner  tube  was  put  on  and 
inflated.  All  told,  the  job  took  the  boys  a  full 
half-hour,  for  the  new  shoe  was  a  tight  fit  and 
did  not  want  to  go  over  the  rim  at  first. 

"  Hello,  what  do  you  know  about  this!  "  cried 
Phil,  as  they  were  finishing  the  blowing  up  of  the 
tube.     "  It's  raining!  " 

"  Yes,  and  look  how  black  it  is  getting  over 
yonder !  "  exclaimed  Bert.  "  We  are  in  for  a 
storm  now,  sure !  " 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  29 

"  I  was  almost  certain  we'd  catch  it,"  said 
Dave.  He  unscrewed  the  pump  from  the  wheel. 
"  Roger,  we  had  better  get  back  to  that  hotel  just 
as  fast  as  we  can." 

"  My  idea,  exactly,  Dave,  for  I  don't  want  to 
be  caught  on  this  hilly  road  in  a  storm." 

"  Better  put  the  top  up,"  advised  the  ship- 
owner's son.  "  It's  going  to  pour  in  a  few 
minutes." 

"  And  hadn't  we  better  put  on  the  chains,  too, 
Roger?  "  questioned  Dave.  "  It  may  be  danger- 
ous work  going  down  the  hill  if  it  rains  hard." 

"  Yes,  we'll  put  up  the  top  and  put  on  the 
chains,"  was  the  quick  reply  of  the  senator's  son. 
"  You  fellows  attend  to  the  top  and  I'll  see  to  the 
chains." 

By  the  time  the  top  had  been  put  up  and 
fastened  it  was  raining  steadily.  Also,  the  wind 
was  beginning  to  blow,  showing  that  the  down- 
pour was  liable  to  become  worse. 

"  Fasten  the  side  curtains,  Phil;  I'll  help  with 
the  chains !  "  sang  out  Dave,  and  while  the  ship- 
owner's son  and  Bert  fastened  the  curtains,  so 
as  to  keep  out  the  driving  rain,  our  hero  aided 
Roger. 

"You'll  get  wet,  Dave;  better  get  in  the  car," 
panted  Roger,  who  was  working  as  rapidly  as  cir- 
cumstances permitted. 

"  No  wetter  than  you,"  answered  Dave,  and 


30    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

then  he  pulled  the  second  chain  in  place  and 
fastened  it.  Both  boys  got  into  the  touring-car 
just  as  a  heavy  crash  of  thunder  sounded  out. 

"Phew!  listen  to  that,  and  look  at  the  light- 
ning!" cried  Phil.  "Say,  if  you  are  ready, 
Roger,  we  had  better  get  out  of  here!  " 

"  If  you  can  only  get  back  to  the  hotel,"  mur- 
mured Bert,  anxiously.  "  If  I  were  you  I'd  not 
think  of  going  home  until  the  storm  clears  away." 

"  Back  to  the  hotel  will  be  enough  for  me," 
answered  Roger.  "All  ready?"  he  asked,  for 
he  had  already  cranked  up. 

"  All  ready,"  answered  Dave,  who  had  gotten 
on  the  front  seat,  thus  allowing  Bert  and  Phil  the 
better  shelter  of  the  tonneau  of  the  car. 

The  senator's  son  started  up  the  automobile  and 
made  a  circle  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  Then,  just  as 
there  came  another  flash  of  lightning  and  a  loud 
crash  of  thunder,  the  boys  began  the  long  and 
perilous  journey  down  the  rough  road  leading 
from  Sugar  Hill. 


CHAPTER  IV 


A  QUESTION  OF  STOCKS 


"Some  rain,  believe  me!  " 

It  was  Dave  who  uttered  the  remark,  as  the 
touring-car  commenced  the  long  and  dangerous 
descent  of  Sugar  Hill.  A  sheet  of  water  was 
dashing  against  the  wind-shield,  which  had  been 
raised  as  high  as  possible. 

"  I  wish  it  was  driving  the  other  way," 
answered  Roger,  who  was  peering  forward.  "  It 
covers  the  glass  so  I  can  hardly  see." 

"  Better  take  it  slow,"  suggested  Dave. 

Another  flash  of  lightning  lit  up  the  scene,  ac- 
companied by  a  crack  of  thunder  that  made  some 
of  the  boys  crouch  down  for  a  second.  Then 
came  more  wind  and  more  rain. 

"  I  hope  the  wind  and  lightning  don't  throw  a 
tree  down  across  the  roadway,"  cried  Phil,  loudly, 
to  make  himself  heard  above  the  fury  of  the 
elements. 

"We've  got  our  eyes  open!  "  answered  Dave. 
"  I'll  look  over  the  wind-shield,"  he  added,  to 
Roger,  and  lifted  a  corner  of  the  front  curtain 
for  that  purpose. 

31 


32    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  You'll  get  wet,  Dave." 

11  Not  a  great  deal,  and  I'd  rather  do  that  than 
have  an  accident,"  was  the  reply. 

Roger  had  thrown  the  car  into  low  gear,  so 
that  the  power  was  really  acting  as  a  sort  of 
brake.  Slowly  they  slid  along,  over  the  wet 
stones  and  dirt.  Then  came  a  sharp  turn,  and 
the  senator's  son  slowed  down  still  more.  The 
touring-car  skidded  a  distance  of  several  feet,  and 
all  held  their  breath,  wondering  if  they  would  go 
down  into  a  small  gully,  or  waterway,  that  lined 
the  road  on  one  side.  But  in  another  moment 
that  danger  was  past,  and  all  breathed  more 
freely. 

But  almost  immediately  a  fresh  peril  con- 
fronted them.  At  another  turn  Dave  sent  up  a 
warning  cry: 

"  Brake  up,  Roger,  there's  a  tree  or  a  big  limb 
ahead!" 

Through  the  rain-covered  shield  the  senator's 
son  saw  the  obstruction.  He  set  both  the  hand- 
brake and  the  foot-brake,  and  all  heard  the  wheels 
and  the  chains  scrape  over  the  stones  and  dirt. 
But  the  car  could  not  be  stopped,  and  two  seconds 
later  crashed  into  the  tree  limb,  a  branch  of  which 
came  up,  striking  the  wind-shield  and  cracking  it. 

"Look  out  for  that  glass!"  yelled  Bert,  in 
fresh  alarm.  "  Don't  get  any  in  your  eyes, 
Roger!" 


Brake  up,  Roger,  there's  a  tree  or  a  big  limb  ahead!" 
Page  32. 


A  QUESTION  OF  STOCKS  33 

The  youth  at  the  wheel  did  not  reply.  Dave, 
quick  to  act,  seized  a  lap-robe  that  was  handy  and 
held  it  up  in  front  of  Roger,  who  did  not  dare  to 
leave  the  wheel.  Then  came  a  jingle  of  glass,  but 
the  pieces  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  boys  in  the  front 
of  the  car.  The  automobile  itself  slid  on  another 
ten  feet,  dragging  the  tree  limb  with  it. 

"  Say,  that  was  a  narrow  escape !  "  muttered 
Phil,  when  the  danger  seemed  over. 

"  We'll  have  to  see  how  much  damage  has  been 
done,"  declared  Dave. 

He  crawled  from  the  car  and  Roger  followed. 
The  other  boys  were  also  coming  out  in  the  storm, 
but  the  senator's  son  stopped  them. 

"  No  use  in  all  of  us  getting  wet,"  he  said.  "  I 
don't  think  the  damage  amounts  to  much.  A 
mud-guard  is  bent  and  the  hood  is  scratched  and 
the  glass  broken,  but  I  guess  that  is  all.  But 
we'll  have  to  get  the  limb  from  under  the  car 
before  we  can  go  ahead  again,"  he  added,  after  an 
inspection. 

"  Can't  you  leave  it  as  it  is  and  use  it  as  a  drag 
down  the  hill?"  questioned  Bert. 

"  I  wouldn't  do  that,"  advised  Dave.  "  It 
might  hurt  some  of  the  machinery  under  the  car. 
I  think  we  can  get  it  out  somehow,  Roger." 

Both  set  to  work,  in  the  wind  and  rain.  It  was 
far  from  a  pleasant  task,  and  despite  the  fact  that 
each  had  donned  a  dust-coat,  both  were  pretty 


34    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

well  soaked  before  the  limb  was  gotten  away  from 
the  car.  Then  Roger  made  another  inspection  of 
the  automobile. 

"  I  think  it's  O.  K.,"  he  said.  "  Anyway,  we'll 
try  it."  And  then  they  cranked  up  once  more; 
and  the  journey  was  continued. 

It  was  a  slow  trip,  and  at  each  turn  on  the  hill 
the  senator's  son  came  almost  to  a  stop.  He 
was  thinking  they  might  meet  a  wagon  coming  the 
other  way,  but  neither  vehicle  nor  person  appeared. 
Sometimes  the  visitors  at  the  lake  went  to  Sugar 
Hill  for  a  picnic,  but  evidently  the  concert,  and  the 
thoughts  of  a  possible  storm,  had  kept  them  away 
this  day. 

"Down  at  last!"  cried  Roger,  presently,  and 
a  moment  later  the  touring-car  rolled  out  on  the 
smooth  and  broad  highway  that  connected  with 
that  running  around  Lake  Sargola. 

"  And  I  am  mighty  glad  of  it,"  declared  Phil, 
as  he  breathed  a  deep  sigh  of  relief. 

"  Now  for  the  hotel,  and  there  I  will  see  if  I 
can't  get  you  fellows  some  dry  clothing,"  said 
Bert.  "  I  guess  each  of  you  can  wear  one  of  my 
suits.     You  are  both  about  my  size." 

They  took  the  shortest  route  to  the  hotel,  arriv- 
ing there  fifteen  minuts  later.  Roger  ran  the  auto- 
mobile to  the  porch  and  allowed  the  others  to 
alight  and  then  took  the  car  to  the  hotel  garage. 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  boys  back!  "  ex- 


A  QUESTION  OF  STOCKS  35 

claimed  Mr.  Passmore.  "  How  did  you  come  to 
break  the  wind-shield?  "  And  then  he  listened 
with  interest  to  the  story  the  lads  had  to  tell. 

"Can't  they  stay  here  to-night,  Dad?"  asked 
Bert,  a  little  later,  when  Roger  came  in.  "  I 
want  to  let  them  have  some  of  my  dry  clothing, 
and  it  is  storming  almost  as  hard  as  ever." 

"  Certainly,  they  can  stay,  if  they  will  and  we 
can  get  rooms  for  them,"  replied  Mr.  Passmore. 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  and  Roger  called 
his  parents  up  on  the  telephone.  A  big  room 
containing  two  double-beds  chanced  to  be  vacant 
in  the  hotel,  and  the  lads  took  that.  Then  Dave 
and  Roger  donned  some  clothing  that  Bert  loaned 
them  while  their  own  garments  were  being  dried 
and  pressed.  A  little  later  all  went  into  the  din- 
ing-room for  dinner. 

"  This  will  knock  out  the  concert  for  to-night," 
remarked  Bert,  during  the  meal. 

"  Yes,  and  we  can  be  glad  we  attended  this  after- 
noon," answered  Dave. 

"  They  are  going  to  have  a  dance  here  this 
evening,"  said  Mrs.  Passmore. 

"  Oh,  we  don't  want  to  go  to  any  dance !  "  cried 
her  son.  "  They  are  not  dressed  for  it,  and 
besides,  I've  got  it  all  arranged.  We  are  going 
to  bowl  some  games — Roger  and  I  against  Dave 
and  Phil." 

"  Very  well,  Bert,  suit  yoursef,"  answered  the 


36    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

mother.  "  But  if  you  wish  to  dance,  perhaps  I 
can  introduce  your  friends  to  some  of  the  young 
ladies." 

But  the  boys  preferred  to  bowl  and  so  went  to 
the  basement  of  the  big  hotel,  where  there  were 
some  fine  alleys.  They  bowled  five  games,  Dave 
and  Phil  taking  three  and  Roger  and  Bert  two. 
In  one  game  Dave  turned  a  wide  "  break  "  into 
a  "  spare,"  and  for  this  the  others  applauded  him 
not  a  little. 

The  games  over,  the  boys  washed  and  then 
went  upstairs  to  watch  the  dancing.  Bert  and 
Phil  danced  a  two-step  with  some  young  ladies 
that  Bert  knew.  Just  as  they  started  off,  Dave 
caught  Roger  by  the  arm. 

"  What  is  it,  Dave?  "  asked  the  senator's  son, 
quickly. 

"  Maybe  I'm  mistaken,  but  I  just  thought  I  saw 
Job  Haskers !  " 

"Where?"  and  now  Roger  was  all  attention. 

"  Going  into  the  reading-room  with  another 
man." 

"  Humph !  Say,  let  us  find  out  if  he  is  really 
here." 

"  He  isn't  staying  here,  I  know  that." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

"  I  asked  the  clerk." 

While  speaking  the  two  youths  had  walked 
away  from  the  ballroom  of  the  hotel.     Now  they 


A  QUESTION  OF  STOCKS  37 

found  themselves  at  the  entrance  to  a  long,  nar- 
row apartment  that  was  used  as  a  writing  and 
smoking  room  for  men.  Half  a  dozen  persons 
were  present,  several  writing  letters  and  the  others 
talking  in  low  tones  and  smoking. 

In  an  alcove  two  men  had  just  seated  them- 
selves, one  an  elderly  person  who  seemed  some- 
what feeble,  and  the  other  a  tall,  sharp-faced 
individual  who  eyed  his  companion  in  a  shrewd, 
speculative  manner. 

"  That's  Job  Haskers,  sure  enough,"  mur- 
mured Roger,  as  Dave  pointed  to  the  sharp-faced 
man.     "  Wonder  what  he  is  doing  here?  " 

"  Well,  he  has  a  right  to  be  here,  if  he  wishes," 
returned  Dave. 

The  two  former  students  of  Oak  Hall  stood  at 
one  side  and  watched  the  man  who  had  been  their 
teacher  for  so  long  and  who  had  proved  himself 
dishonorable  in  more  ways  than  one. 

"  Unless  I  am  mistaken,  he  is  trying  to  work 
some  sort  of  a  game  on  that  old  gentleman,"  whis- 
pered Dave,  a  few  minutes  later.  "  See  how 
earnestly  he  is  talking,  and  see,  he  is  bringing 
some  papers  out  of  his  pocket." 

"  Oh,  it  may  be  all  right,  Dave,"  replied  the 
senator's  son.  "  Not  that  I  would  trust  Job  Has- 
kers too  far,"  he  added,  hastily. 

The  two  lads  continued  to  watch  the  former 
teacher  of  Oak  Hall.     He  was  still  arguing  with 


38    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

the  old  gentleman  and  acted  as  if  he  wanted  to 
get  the  stranger  to  sign  a  paper  he  held  in  his 
hand.     He  had  a  fountain  pen  ready  to  be  used. 

"  I'm  going  a  little  closer  and  look  into  this," 
said  Dave,  firmly.  "  Perhaps  it's  all  right,  but 
that  old  man  may  not  know  Haskers  as  we  do." 

"  We  can  go  around  to  the  back  door;  that  is 
close  to  the  alcove,"  suggested  Roger,  who  was 
now  as  interested  as  Dave  in  what  was  taking 
place. 

By  walking  through  a  narrow  hallway  the  boys 
reached  the  door  the  senator's  son  had  mentioned. 
This  was  within  a  few  feet  of  the  alcove,  and  by 
standing  behind  the  door  Dave  and  Roger  could 
hear  all  the  former  teacher  and  the  elderly  gentle- 
man were  saying. 

"  It's  really  the  chance  of  a  lifetime,"  urged  Job 
Haskers,  with  great  earnestness.  "  I  never  knew 
of  a  better  opportunity  to  make  money.  The  con- 
solidation of  the  five  mills  has  placed  the  entire 
business  in  the  hands  of  the  Sunset  Company.  If 
you  sign  for  that  stock  you'll  be  doing  the  best 
business  stroke  you've  done  in  a  lifetime,  Mr. 
Fordham." 

"  Maybe,  maybe,"  answered  the  old  gentleman, 
hesitatingly.  "  Yet  I  really  ought  to  consult  my 
son  before  I  do  it.  But  he  is  in  Philadelphia.  I 
might  write " 

"  Then   it  may  be  too  late,"   interposed  Job 


A  QUESTION  OF  STOCKS  39 

Haskers.  "  As  I  told  you  before,  this  stock  is 
going  like  wildfire.  And  at  thirty-five  it's  a  bar- 
gain. I  think  it  .will  be  up  to  sixty  or  seventy 
inside  of  a  month — or  two  months  at  the  latest. 
You'd  better  sign  for  the  hundred  shares  right 
now  and  make  sure  of  them."  And  Job  Haskers 
held  out  one  of  the  papers  in  his  hand  and  also  the 
fountain  pen. 

Roger  and  Dave  looked  at  each  other  and  prob- 
ably the  same  thought  flashed  through  the  minds 
of  both.  Should  they  show  themselves  and  let 
the  elderly  gentleman  know  just  what  sort  of  a 
man  Job  Haskers  was? 

"  I  guess  we'd  better  take  a  hand "  com- 
menced Dave,  when  he  paused  as  he  saw  the  old 
gentleman  shake  his  head. 

"  I— I  don't  think  think  I'll  do  it  to-night,  Mr. 
Haskers,"  he  said,  slowly.  "  I — I  want  to  sleep 
on  it.     Come  and  see  me  again  in  the  morning." 

"  The  stock  may  go  up  by  morning,"  interposed 
the  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall.  "  It  went  up 
day  before  yesterday,  two  points.  Better  bind  the 
bargain  right  now." 

"  No,  I'll  wait  until  morning." 

"Well,  when  can  I  see  you,  Mr.  Fordham?" 
asked  the  other,  trying  to  conceal  his  disappoint- 
ment. 

"  I'll  be  around  about  ten  o'clock — I  don't  get 
up  very  early." 


40    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Very  well,  I'll  call  at  that  time  then,"  said  Job 
Haskers.  "  But  you  might  as  well  sign  for  it 
now,"  and  again  he  held  out  the  paper  and  the 
pen. 

"  No,  I'll  wait  until  to-morrow  morning,"  an- 
swered Mr.  Fordham,  as  he  arose.  "  It's  time  I 
retired  now.    I — I'm  not  as  strong  as  I  once  was." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  that.  Well,  I'll  be  around 
in  the  morning,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  realize  that 
this  is  a  good  thing,  after  you  have  thought  it 
over,"  said  Job  Haskers,  with  calm  assurance,  and 
then  he  and  the  elderly  man  left  the  room.  Dave 
and  Roger  saw  them  separate  in  the  main  hall  of 
the  hotel,  the  old  gentleman  going  up-stairs,  and 
Job  Haskers  out  into  the  storm. 


CHAPTER  V 

A  TRAP  FOR  JOB  HASKERS 

"  What  do  you  think  of  it,  Dave? 

"  I  think  Job  Haskers  is  up  to  some  game, 
Roger." 

"  Selling  worthless  stocks?  " 

"  Yes,  or  else  stocks  that  are  next  door  to  worth- 
less." 

"  I  wonder  who  the  old  gentleman  can  be?  He 
looks  as  if  he  might  have  money.  That  diamond 
ring  he  wears  must  be  worth  several  hundred 
dollars." 

"  Supposing  we  ask  Mr.  Passmore  about  him?  " 
suggested  Dave. 

"  That's  the  idea." 

The  youths  found  Mr.  Passmore  in  a  protected 
corner  of  a  side  porch,  smoking.  Most  of  the 
storm  was  now  over,  but  it  still  rained. 

"Tired  of  bowling,  eh?"  said  Bert's  father, 
who  was  a  wholesale  dealer  in  rugs. 

"  Mr.  Passmore,  we  want  to  ask  you  some  ques- 
tions," said  Roger.  "  Do  you  know  an  elderly 
gentleman  here  by  the  name  of  Fordham?  " 

41 


42    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"Fordham?  Yes,  I've  met  him.  Nice  man, 
too,  but  rather  feeble." 

"  Is  he  alone  here?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  Practically.  He  has  a  son  that  comes  to  see 
him  once  in  a  while.     Did  you  want  to  see  him?  " 

"  We  have  seen  him,  and  we  were  wondering  if 
we  hadn't  better  have  a  talk  with  him,"  explained 
Dave. 

"  We'll  tell  you  how  it  is,"  put  in  Roger,  who 
knew  Mr.  Passmore  well.  And  then  he  and  Dave 
related  the  particulars  of  what  they  had  seen,  and 
told  something  of  what  Job  Haskers  was. 

"Hum!  This  might  be  worth  looking  into," 
mused  the  rug  dealer.  "  Of  course,  these  stocks 
may  be  all  right.  But  it  looks  rather  fishy  to  me. 
Years  ago  I  bought  some  stocks  like  that  and  they 
proved  to  be  utterly  worthless.  It  certainly  won't 
do  any  harm  to  tell  old  Mr.  Fordham  what  you 
know  about  this  man  Haskers." 

"  I'd  hate  to  get  into  a  row "  commenced 

Roger. 

"  I  wouldn't — not  if  I  was  going  to  save  that 
old  gentleman's  money  for  him,"  interrupted 
Dave.  "  Job  Haskers  sha'n't  pull  the  wool  over 
anybody's  eyes  if  I  can  prevent  it!  " 

"  Oh,  I  am  with  you  there,  Dave!  "  cried  the 
senator's  son,  quickly.  "  I  was  thinking  that  per- 
haps we  would  warn  this  Mr.  Fordham  without 
Haskers  knowing  anything  about  it." 


A  TRAP  FOR  JOB  HASKERS  43 

"  Better  not  try  to  do  anything  to-night,"  said 
Mr.  Passmore.  "  You  can  see  Mr.  Fordham  in 
the  morning,  and  I'll  be  present,  if  you  wish  it." 

A  little  later  the  two  boys  found  Phil  and  Bert 
coming  from  the  dance,  and  told  their  old  school 
chum  of  what  they  had  witnessed. 

"  Of  course,  we  ought  to  expose  Haskers!  "  de- 
clared the  shipowner's  son,  who  was  not  likely 
to  forget  how  he  had  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the 
former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall.  "  We'll  go  to  this 
Mr.  Fordham  and  tell  him  just  what  a  rascal 
Haskers  is !  " 

The  doings  of  the  day  had  made  all  the  boys 
tired,  and  they  slept  soundly.  Dave  was  the  first 
astir  in  the  morning,  but  the  others,  including  Bert, 
soon  followed.  The  storm  had  passed  and  the  sun 
was  shining  brightly. 

"  I'd  like  you  fellows  to  stay  here  over  the 
Fourth,"  said  Bert,  when  they  went  below  for 
breakfast.    "  Maybe  we  could  have  a  dandy  time." 

"  Can't  do  it,"  declared  Roger.  "  I  am  expect- 
ing company  at  the  house — some  more  Oak  Hall 
fellows.  But  you  might  come  there,  if  you  care 
to,  Bert,"  he  added. 

"  All  right,  I'll  see  about  it." 

Dave  and  the  others  had  already  made  up  their 
minds  what  to  do  about  Mr.  Fordham.  About 
nine  o'clock  they  sent  a  message  to  the  elderly 
gentleman's  room,  stating  they  wished  to  see  him 


44    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

on  a  matter  of  importance  to  himself,  and  adding 
that  Mr.  Passmore  would  be  with  them. 

"  He  says  for  you  to  come  right  up,"  said  the 
bell-boy,  who  had  delivered  the  message. 

"  Is  he  up  yet?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"Yes,  sir." 

The  bell-boy  led  the  way  to  the  room,  which  was 
in  a  wing  on  the  second  floor.  All  the  boys  but 
Bert  went  up,  and  Mr.  Passmore  accompanied 
them.  They  found  Mr.  Fordham  seated  in  an 
easy  chair.  He  looked  quite  bewildered  at  the  en- 
trance of  so  many  visitors. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Fordham,"  said  Mr. 
Passmore.  "  I  suppose  you  are  quite  surprised  to 
see  me  at  this  time  in  the  morning,  and  with  so 
many  young  gentlemen  with  me,"  and  the  rug 
dealer  smiled  broadly. 

"  A  bit  surprised,  yes,"  was  the  somewhat  feeble 
answer.    "  But  I — I  suppose  it  is  all  right." 

"  Let  me  introduce  my  young  friends,"  went  on 
Mr.  Passmore,  and  did  so.  "  They  have  got 
something  they  would  like  to  tell  you." 

"  To  tell  me?  "  questioned  the  aged  man,  curi- 
ously. "  Sit  down,  won't  you,"  he  added,  politely, 
and  motioned  to  chairs  and  to  a  couch. 

"  We  came  to  see  you  about  a  man  who  called 
to  see  you  last  night,  a  Mr.  Job  Haskers,"  said 
Dave,  after  a  pause,  during  which  the  visitors 
seated  themselves.     "  Perhaps  it  is  none  of  our 


A  TRAP  FOR  JOB  HASKERS  45 

business,  Mr.  Fordham,  but  my  chums  and  I  here 
felt  it  our  duty  to  tell  you  about  that  man." 

"  We  don't  want  to  do  him  any  harm,  if  he  is 
trying  to  earn  an  honest  living,"  put  in  Roger, 
"  but  we  want  you  to  be  on  your  guard  in  any 
dealings  you  may  have  with  him." 

"  Why,  what  do  you  young  men  know  of  Mr. 
Haskers?"  demanded  the  old  gentleman,  in  in- 
creasing wonder. 

"  We  know  a  great  deal  about  him,  and  very 
little  to  his  credit,"  burst  out  Phil.  "  If  you  have 
any  dealings  with  him,  be  careful,  or,  my  word  for 
it,  you  may  get  the  worst  of  it !  " 

"  Why  this  is — er — very  extraordinary!  "  mur- 
mured Mr.  Fordham.  "  I — I  don't  know  what 
to  make  of  it,"  and  he  looked  rather  helplessly  at 
Mr.  Passmore. 

"  Porter,  you  had  better  tell  what  you  know 
about  Haskers,"  said  Bert's  father.  "  But  cut  it 
short,  for  that  man  may  get  here  soon." 

In  a  plain,  straightforward  manner  our  hero 
told  of  several  things  that  had  happened  at  Oak 
Hall,  which  were  not  at  all  to  Job  Haskers'  credit. 
Then  he  told  of  the  attempt  to  blow  up  the  hotel, 
and  how  the  unworthy  teacher  had  tried  to  throw 
the  blame  on  the  students,  and  how  the  truth  of 
the  matter  had  at  last  come  out,  and  how  the  dic- 
tatorial old  teacher  had  been  dismissed  by  Doctor 
Clay. 


46    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  this  is  the 
man  who  is  trying  to  sell  me  this  stock  in  the  Sun- 
set Milling  Company?  "  asked  Mr.  Fordham, 
when  Dave  had  finished. 

"  This  is  the  same  man,"  answered  Roger. 

"  Yes,  and  Dave  didn't  tell  you  the  half  of  what 
can  be  chalked  up  against  him,"  added  Phil.  "  I 
wouldn't  trust  him  with  a  pint  of  peanuts." 

"  Hum !  Strange,  and  I  thought  he  came  highly 
recommended!  " 

"  If  he  showed  you  any  recommendations  I'll 
wager  they  were  many  years  old,"  said  Dave. 

"  This  is  really  none  of  my  business,  Mr.  Ford- 
ham,"  broke  in  Mr.  Passmore.  "  But  as  this  man 
is  so  well  known  to  these  young  gentlemen,  and  he 
has  proved  himself  to  be  so  unworthy,  I  would 
go  slow  about  investing  in  stocks  that  he  may 
offer." 

"  Yes!  yes!  Certainly!  "  cried  the  elderly  gen- 
tleman. "  But — er — why  should  these  young  men 
take  such  an  interest  in  me,  a  stranger?" 

"  We  don't  want  to  see  Job  Haskers  get 
the  best  of  any  one !  "  answered  Phil,  bluntly. 
"  My  opinion  of  it  is,  that  he  ought  to  be  in 
jail." 

"  I  see,  I  see  1  Well,  if  he  did  what  you  say  he 
did,  I  don't  blame  you." 

u  I  wouldn't  sign  for  any  stock  until  I  had  some 
outside  advice  about  it,"  cautioned  Mr.  Passmore. 


A  TRAP  FOR  JOB  HASKERS  47 

"Why  not  wait  until  your  son  gets  back?"  he 
suggested. 

"  I'll  do  it.  Mr.  Haskers  wanted  the  deal 
closed  at  once.  But  now  I  won't  sign  for  the  stock. 
I'll  wait.  My  son  will  be  here  day  after  to-mor- 
row at  the  latest,  and  he  can  look  into  the  matter 
for  me.  And  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  all 
for  this  warning.    I  think " 

At  that  moment  came  a  knock  on  the  door, 
which  had  been  closed.  A  bell-boy  was  there 
with  a  card,  which  he  handed  to  Mr.  Ford- 
ham. 

"Bless  me!  He  is  certainly  on  time!"  mur- 
mured the  old  gentleman.  "  It  is  Mr.  Haskers." 
He  looked  helplessly  at  the  others.  "  I — I  don't 
exactly  know  what  to  do." 

"  We'll  get  out,  if  you  say  so,"  answered  Roger, 
quickly. 

"  Oh,  say,  can't  we  stay  and  face  him?  "  asked 
Phil,  eagerly.  "  We'll  give  him  the  surprise  of  his 
life!" 

"Certainly,  you  can  stay!"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Fordham,  with  sudden  energy.  "  I  want  you  to 
stay.  You  should  not  be  afraid  to  say  to  his 
face  what  you  have  said  behind  his  back." 

Dave  looked  around  the  apartment.  A  bath- 
room was  handy,  the  door  standing  ajar. 

"  Supposing  we  step  in  there  for  a  few  min- 
utes,  while   you   and   Mr.    Passmore   meet   Mr. 


48    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Haskers,"  he  cried.  "  We'll  come  out  when  you 
say  so." 

"  A  clever  idea  !  "  cried  the  rug  dealer.  "  May- 
be we'll  be  able  to  catch  him  in  a  trap!  " 

"  Mr.  Passmore,  I'll  leave  this  matter  to  you," 
answered  the  elderly  gentleman.  "  You  know 
those  young  men  better  than  I  do." 

"  So  I  do,  and  I'll  vouch  for  Roger  Morr  and 
his  friends,"  was  the  answer.  "  Show  the  gentle- 
man up,"  he  added,  to  the  bell-boy.  "  Don't  tell 
him  who  is  here — we  want  to  surprise  him." 

As  the  bell-boy  left,  the  three  chums  crowded 
into  the  bathroom,  leaving  the  door  on  a  crack. 
Soon  there  came  another  knock,  and  Job  Haskers 
presented  himself,  silk  hjt  and  cane  in  hand.  He 
was  well  dressed  and  evidently  groomed  for  the 
occasion.  He  had  expected  to  find  Mr.  Fordham 
alone,  and  was  somewhat  annoyed  on  beholding  a 
visitor  ahead  of  him. 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Haskers,"  said  the  el- 
derly gentleman,  politely.  "  This  is  my  friend, 
Mr.  Passmore." 

"  Happy  to  know  you,  sir,"  responded  the 
former  teacher,  with  pretended  warmth.  "  A 
lovely  morning  after  the  storm,"  he  went  on,  as 
he  drew  off  the  gloves  he  was  wearing. 

"  We  were  just  discussing  this  stock  you  have 
been  offering  to  Mr.  Fordham,"  remarked  Mr. 
Passmore,  a  bit  dryly.     "  The  Sunset  Company  is 


A  TRAP  FOR  JOB  HASKERS  49 

a  new  one  to  me.  Did  you  help  to  organize 
it?" 

"  Well,  I — er — I  had  a  little  to  do  with  the  or- 
ganization," stammered  the  former  teacher. 

"  You  are  a  regular  stock-broker,  I  presume, 
Mr.  Haskers." 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  business.  But  I  don't  deal  in 
ordinary  stocks — I  handle  only  those  which  are 
gilt-edged  and  big  money  makers,"  added  Job 
Haskers,  with  a  flourish. 

"  Been  following  the  business  for  some  years,  I 
presume." 

"  About  fifteen,  all  told.  I  used  to  have  an 
office  in  Wall  Street,  New  York,  but  I  gave  that 
up,  as  I  found  the  confinement  bad  for  my 
health." 

"  It  must  be  a  pretty  exacting  business,"  went 
on  Mr.  Passmore. 

"  It  is,  sir.  When  a  fellow  is  in  stocks  he  can't 
follow  much  of  anything  else." 

"  I'd  hate  to  follow  stocks  for  fifteen  years." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  have  been  handling 
stocks  for  the  past  fifteen  years?  "  questioned  Mr. 
Fordham,  slowly. 

"  Exactly,  sir — ever  since  I  gave  up  my  position 
as  cashier  of  a  Boston  bank,"  returned  Job  Has- 
kers, smoothly.  "  And  now,  to  get  down  to  busi- 
ness, as  my  time  is  somewhat  limited.  I  suppose 
you  are  ready  to  subscribe  for  that  stock?  "    And 


50    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

the  former  teacher  brought  forth  a  paper  and  his 
fountain  pen. 

"  We'll  see,"  mused  Mr.  Fordham.  "  Dealing 
in  stocks  for  the  past  fifteen  years,  eh?  How 
long  since  you  gave  up  your  office  in  Wall 
Street?  " 

"About — er  —  two  years,"  stammered  Job 
Haskers.  He  looked  keenly  at  Mr.  Fordham  and 
then  at  Mr.  Passmore.  "  What — er — why  do  you 
ask  me  that  question?  " 

"  Mr.  Fordham  probably  thought  it  strange 
that  you  could  be  dealing  in  stocks  and  teaching 
school  at  the  same  time,"  answered  Bert's  father, 
dryly. 

At  this  announcement  Job  Haskers'  jaw 
dropped. 

"  I — I  don't  understand  you,"  he  stammered. 

"  Well,  you  will  understand  in  a  minute,"  re- 
turned the  rug  dealer,  blandly.  He  raised  his 
voice.  "  Boys,  I  guess  you  had  better  come  in 
now!  " 


CHAPTER  VI 


ANOTHER  SURPRISE 


The  boys  had  listened  to  all  that  was  said,  and 
now  they  lost  no  time  in  filing  into  Mr.  Ford- 
ham's  bedroom. 

Job  Haskers  stared  at  them  in  amazement,  and 
his  face  dropped  in  consternation. 

"Porter!"  he  gasped.  "And  Morr  and 
Lawrence!     Wha — what  does  this — er — mean?" 

"  Perhaps  you  know  as  well  as  we  do,"  an- 
swered Dave,  sharply. 

"  You  have  been  spying  on  me!  " 

"  We  are  here  by  permission  of  Mr.  Fordham," 
returned  Roger. 

"  How  did  you  know  I  was  to  call?  " 

"  Never  mind  about  that,"  put  in  Phil.  "  We 
are  here,  and  that  is  enough." 

"  And  we  know  all  about  what  you  are  trying 
to  do,"  added  Dave. 

"  This  is  a  plot — a  plot  against  me — to  ruin 
me!  "  spluttered  the  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall. 
"  Oh,  you  needn't  try  to  disguise  it!  I  know  all 
of  you!" 

51 


52    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  We  have  no  plot  against  you,  Mr.  Haskers," 
replied  Dave,  calmly.  "  If  your  business  is  per- 
fectly legitimate " 

"Never  mind  about  that!"  interposed  Job 
Haskers,  hastily.  He  jammed  the  paper  and  his 
fountain  pen  in  his  pocket.  "  You  can't  make  a 
fool  of  me!  You  have  been  following  me  up,  and 
you  mean  to — to — do  what  you  can  to — er — get 
me  into  trouble."  He  backed  towards  the  door- 
way. 

"What  is  your  hurry,  sir?"  asked  Mr.  Pass- 
more,  and  he  quietly  placed  himself  in  front  of  the 
door. 

"Let  me  pass!  Let  me  pass!"  shrilled  Job 
Haskers,  and  now  he  looked  thoroughly  scared. 

"  Don't  you  wish  to  talk  this  matter  over?  " 
questioned  Mr.  Fordham,  wonderingly. 

"  No,  sir.  I  am  not  going  to  stay  here  to  be 
made  a  fool  of!"  cried  the  former  instructor. 
"  Let  me  pass,  I  demand  it!  "  he  added,  to  Bert's 
father. 

"  Oh,  all  right,  if  you  insist,"  answered  Mr. 
Passmore,  and  stepped  aside.  At  once  Job 
Haskers  threw  the  door  open  and  retreated  to  the 
hallway. 

"  Just  wait,  you  young  scamps !  I'll  get  even 
with  you  for  this!  "  he  exclaimed,  shaking  a  long 
finger  at  Dave,  Roger,  and  Phil.  "  I'll  show  you 
yet!     You  just  wait!  "    And  with  that  threat  he 


ANOTHER  SURPRISE  53 

literally  ran  down  the  hallway  and  down  the  stairs 
and  out  of  the  hotel. 

"  Say,  he's  some  mad,  believe  me !  "  was 
Roger's  grim  comment. 

"  I  think  he  is  more  scared  than  anything  else," 
returned  Dave.  "  He  acted  as  if  he  thought  we 
had  trapped  him  in  some  way." 

"  Just  how  it  struck  me,"  put  in  Phil.  "  He 
certainly  didn't  lose  any  time  in  getting  away,  did 
he?  "  and  the  shipowner's  son  grinned  broadly. 

"  He  had  a  guilty  conscience,"  was  Mr.  Pass- 
more's  comment.  "  Mr.  Fordham,  I  think  you 
can  congratulate  yourself  that  he  has  left." 

"  I  think  so  myself,  sir,"  replied  the  old  gen- 
tleman. He  looked  kindly  at  Dave  and  his  chums. 
"  It  looks  to  me  as  if  you  had  saved  me  from 
being  swindled,"  he  continued.  "  If  he  had  a  fair 
sort  of  a  proposition  I  think  he  would  have 
stayed." 

"  I  think  so  myself,"  added  Mr.  Passmore. 
"  Just  the  same,  supposing  I  look  into  this  Sunset 
Company  for  you?  " 

"  As  you  please,  Mr.  Passmore.  But  I  doubt 
if  I  care  to  invest — after  what  I  have  heard  and 
seen  of  this  fellow,  Haskers,"  answered  the  old 
gentleman. 

The  matter  was  talked  over  a  little  more  and 
then  the  boys  and  Bert's  father  departed,  first, 
however,  receiving  the  warm  thanks  of  Mr.  Ford- 


54    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

ham  for  what  they  had  done.  In  the  foyer  of  the 
hotel  the  chums  fell  in  with  Bert. 

"  Say,  I  saw  that  Haskers  fellow  shoot  out  of 
the  hotel  in  a  mighty  hurry,"  he  said.  "  You  must 
have  made  it  hot  for  him." 

"  We  did,"  answered  Dave.  "  Where  did  he 
go?" 

"  Up  the  lake  road,  as  fast  as  he  could  walk." 

"  I  wonder  where  he  is  stopping?  "  mused  Phil. 

"We  might  take  the  auto  and  follow  him?" 
suggested  the  senator's  son.  "  There  is  no  hurry 
about  our  getting  home." 

"  Let's  do  it!  "  cried  Dave,  for  he  was  as  curi- 
ous as  the  others  concerning  the  former  teacher 
of  Oak  Hall. 

"  If  you  don't  mind  I'll  go  along,"  said  Bert. 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  letting  Mr.  Passmore 
know  of  their  plans  they  soon  got  ready  for  the 
trip. 

"  Now,  don't  get  into  any  trouble,"  warned  the 
rug  dealer,  as  they  were  about  to  depart.  "  That 
fellow  Haskers  may  be  like  a  rat — very  ugly  when 
cornered." 

"  We'll  keep  our  eyes  open,"  answered  Dave. 

Soon  the  touring-car  was  rolling  over  the  lake 
road,  in  the  direction  Job  Haskers  had  taken.  The 
storm  had  left  the  road  a  trifle  muddy  in  spots,  but 
that  was  all.  Overhead  the  sky  was  blue  and  the 
sun  shone  brightly. 


ANOTHER  SURPRISE  55 

Less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  was  covered  when 
those  in  the  touring-car  saw  a  figure  ahead  they 
knew  to  be  Job  Haskers.  He  was  walking  along 
more  slowly  now,  his  head  bent  down  as  if  in 
deep  thought. 

"  I  suppose  he  is  trying  to  figure  out  what  to 
do  next,"  was  Phil's  comment.  "  Wants  to  locate 
another  sucker — if  he  can." 

"  Such  a  man  ought  to  be  in  jail,"  said  Bert. 
"  He  may  rob  some  poor  fellow  and  do  it  in  a 
legal  way,  too, — so  that  the  man  won't  be  able  to 
get  back  at  him." 

Roger  had  slowed  down,  so  that  the  touring-car 
kept  well  behind  the  former  teacher.  Presently 
the  boys  saw  Haskers  turn  up  a  side  road,  one 
that  led  to  a  small  hotel,  standing  on  a  hill  over- 
looking the  lake. 

"  He's  going  to  the  Fenton  House,"  said  Bert. 
"  Maybe  he  is  stopping  there." 

"  Possibly,"  returned  Dave. 

Slowly  following  the  man,  they  saw  Job  Haskers 
enter  the  hotel  and  walk  in  the  direction  of  the 
reading-room.  Roger  stopped  the  car  and  turned 
to  the  others. 

"Well,  what's  the  next  move?"  he  asked. 
"  Want  to  go  in?  " 

"  What's  the  use?  "  asked  Phil.  "  We'd  only 
have  a  lot  of  words  with  him.  He's  got  a  right 
to  stay  here  if  he  wants  to." 


56    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Let's  go  in  anyway,"  said  Dave.  "  You  must 
know  somebody  here,"  he  continued,  turning  to 
Bert. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  several  young  fellows  and 
girls,"  answered  the  lad  who  was  spending  the 
summer  at  the  lake. 

"  Then  we  can  pretend  to  be  calling  on  them," 
put  in  Roger. 

Leaving  the  touring-car  standing  in  the  road, 
the  four  youths  entered  the  hotel.  They  glanced 
into  the  reading-room,  and  noted  that  over  a  dozen 
persons  were  present.    Then  Dave  gave  a  low  cry. 

"  Look,  boys !    What  do  you  think  of  that?  " 

He  pointed  to  one  corner  of  the  reading-room, 
where  two  persons  sat  on  a  leather  couch,  one  with 
a  newspaper  in  his  hand. 

"Why,  it's  Link  Merwell!"  gasped  Phil. 
"  Merwell  as  sure  as  you're  born !  " 

"How  did  that  rascal  get  here?"  murmured 
Roger. 

"Who  is  it?"  asked  Bert,  curiously. 

"  That  fellow  who  is  on  the  couch  with  Has- 
kers,"  whispered  Dave.  "  He  used  to  go  to  school 
with  us  at  Oak  Hall,  and  then  he  had  to  leave,  and 
after  that  he  and  a  fellow  named  Jasniff  robbed 
Mr.  Wadsworth's  jewelry  works." 

"  Oh,  yes,  Roger  told  me  about  that.  You  fel- 
lows followed  the  rascals  to  Cave  Island,  didn't 
you?" 


ANOTHER  SURPRISE  57 

"  Yes,  and  we  caught  Jasniff,  but  Merwell  got 
away." 

"  Then  why  not  have  him  locked  up  right 
now?  "  demanded  Bert. 

"  It's  what  we  ought  to  do,"  declared  Phil. 

"  Haskers  and  Merwell  must  be  in  with  each 
other,"  was  Dave's  comment.  "  Maybe  Merwell 
is  trying  to  sell  some  of  that  Sunset  Company 
stock,  too." 

"  Wonder  if  we  can't  hear  what  they  are  say- 
ing? "  said  Roger.  "  It  might  help  us  to  make  out 
a  case  against  them." 

"  We  can  go  around  to  that  side  window  and 
listen,"  suggested  Phil,  and  pointed  to  the  window 
in  question. 

This  was  quickly  agreed  upon,  and  the  four  boys 
left  the  hotel  and  walked  out  on  a  gravel  path  close 
to  the  window.  As  the  day  was  warm,  the  window 
was  wide  open. 

"  No,  it  was  a  frost!  "  they  heard  Job  Haskers 
say,  in  harsh  tones. 

"  He  wouldn't  buy  the  stock?  "  queried  Link 
Merwell. 

"  Worse  than  that,  Merwell.  I  was  trapped, 
and  I  had  all  I  could  do  to  get  away." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Do  you  know  who  was  there,  with  that  old 
man,  when  I  went  to  see  him?  " 

"  I  have  no  idea." 


58    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Three  of  the  boys  you  hate — Porter,  Morr, 
and  Lawrence." 

Merwell  started  back  in  consternation. 

"You  don't  mean  it— you  are  fooling!" 

"  It's  the  truth.  They  were  there  and  ready  to 
have  me  arrested,  I  suppose.  I  got  out  in  a  hurry." 
Job  Haskers  gave  a  deep  sigh  and  wiped  the 
perspiration  from  his  forehead. 

"  Did— did  they  follow  you?  "  asked  Link  Mer- 
well, nervously. 

"  I  don't  think  so — I  didn't  give  them  time. 
Oh,  this  is  too  bad!  I  expected  to  get  a  lot  of 
money  from  that  old  man,"  and  Job  Haskers 
shook  his  headly,  sadly. 

"  I  told  you  it  wasn't  safe  to  stay  around  here," 
was  Merwell's  comment.  "  Why  not  go  out  West 
with  me?    It  will  be  much  safer  there,  I  am  sure." 

"My  funds  are  low." 

"  I'll  stake  you,  as  the  miners  say." 

"How  much  money  have  you?"  asked  Job 
Haskers,  a  bit  more  hopefully. 

"  Enough  to  take  us  both  West.  I  made  dad 
come  down — he  sent  the  money  order  this  morn- 
ing, and  I  just  got  it  cashed.  I  told  him  if  he 
didn't  come  down  I'd  have  to  give  myself  up  to  the 
police,  and  that  would  disgrace  the  whole  family." 

"  I  see."  The  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall  grit- 
ted his  teeth.  "  Oh,  how  I  wish  I  could  do  some- 
thing to  punish  Porter  and  those  others !  " 


ANOTHER  SURPRISE  59 

"  Humph !  you  don't  wish  that  any  more  than 
I  do,"  replied  Link  Merwell,  scowling.  "  I'm 
going  to  do  something  some  day,  mark  my 
words!  "  he  added,  vindictively. 

At  that  moment  the  agent  for  a  big  observation 
car  that  ran  around  the  lake  approached  the  boys 
on  the  gravel  path  beneath  the  window. 

"  Wouldn't  you  young  gentlemen  like  to  take 
a  nice  ride  this  afternoon?  "  he  asked,  in  a  busi- 
ness-like tone.  "  A  fifty-mile  ride  in  our  new  ob- 
servation touring-car,  visiting  all  the  points  of  in- 
terest around  the  lake,  and  taking  in  Creswood, 
Lighton,  and  Tomkins'  Mill — a  two-hours'  ride 
for  one  dollar."  And  he  held  up  a  handful  of 
tickets. 

"  We  don't  want  any  ride,"  answered  Dave. 

"  We  have  our  own  touring-car,"  added  Roger, 
pointing  to  the  car. 

"  Oh,  I  see,  all  right,"  said  the  man,  and  passed 
on,  to  hunt  for  customers  elsewhere. 

When  the  man  had  started  to  speak  his  voice 
had  carried  into  the  reading-room,  and  much  sur- 
prised to  think  others  were  so  near,  both  Haskers 
and  Merwell  had  gotten  up  from  the  couch  to 
glance  out  of  the  window. 

"  Well,  I  never!  "  gasped  Merwell. 

"They  must  have  followed  me  after  all!" 
groaned  Job  Haskers. 

The  youth  who  had  been  mixed  up  in  the  rob- 


60    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

bery  of  the  jewelry  works  grabbed  the  former 
teacher  by  the  arm. 

"We  can't  stay  here — at  least  I  can't!"  he 
whispered,  hoarsely.  "  I  am  going  to  dust!  "  And 
out  of  the  reading-room  he  glided,  and  Job  Has- 
kers  followed  him. 

"Where  shall  we  go?"  asked  the  former 
teacher,  his  shaking  voice  showing  how  much  he 
was  disturbed. 

"  I  don't  know — but  I  won't  stay  here,"  re- 
turned Merwell.  "  Have  you  much  baggage?  I 
have  only  a  Gladstone  bag." 

"  I  have  a  suit-case,  that  is  all." 

"  Then  let  us  pack  up  and  get  out  by  the  back 
way.  We  can  pay  our  bills  later.  Come  on,  there 
is  no  time  to  spare  1  " 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  GATHERING  OF  OAK  HALL  BOYS 

"Well,  they  are  gone,  that's  certain!  " 

"  Yes,  and  there  is  no  telling  where  they  went 
to." 

"  Must  have  slipped  out  by  a  back  way." 

"  They  sure  are  a  slick  pair." 

It  was  some  time  later,  and  Dave  and  the  other 
boys  stood  on  the  broad  piazza  of  the  hotel  dis- 
cussing the  situation. 

Following  the  talk  with  the  observation  car 
agent  they  had  looked  into  the  reading-room  only 
to  discover  that  Job  Haskers  and  Link  Merwell 
had  vanished.  At  once  they  had  rushed  into  the 
building,  looking  through  the  hallways  and  other 
rooms  that  were  open  to  the  general  public.  Not 
a  trace  of  the  two  evildoers  was  to  be  found  any- 
where. Then  they  had  consulted  the  clerk  at  the 
desk,  and  through  him  had  learned  that  only  Job 
Haskers  was  stopping  at  the  place. 

"  But  he  has  a  young  friend  here,  a  Mr.  Smith 
— Jackson  Smith,"  the  clerk  had  told  them.  And 
then  he  had  described  the  fellow  called  Jackson 
Smith,  and  Dave  and  his  chums  had  felt  assured 

61 


62    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

that  it  was  Link  Merwell  under  an  assumed  name. 
Finally  a  visit  had  been  paid  to  the  rooms  Haskers 
and  Merwell  had  occupied,  and  both  had  been 
found  vacated,  with  the  keys  sticking  in  the  locks. 

"  And  neither  of  'em  stopped  to  pay  his  bill," 
the  clerk  had  told  them,  mournfully. 

"  I  am  not  surprised,"  Dave  had  answered. 
"  They  are  a  bad  pair." 

The  clerk  had  wanted  to  know  the  particulars, 
and  the  boys  had  told  him  as  much  as  they  deemed 
necessary.  Then  they  had  come  out  on  the  piazza 
of  the  hostelry,  wondering  what  they  ought  to  do 
next. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  worth  while  trying  to  follow 
them  up,"  said  the  senator's  son.  "  If  you  caught 
Merwell  you  would  have  to  appear  in  court 
against  him,  and  you  know  what  a  lot  of  trouble 
you  had  appearing  against  Jasniff ;"  and  this  state- 
ment was  true. 

uOh,  let  them  go!"  cried  Phil.  "Say,"  he 
added,  "  did  you  hear  what  Link  said  about 
bleeding  his  dad  for  money?    Isn't  he  the  limit!  " 

"  That  proves  he  isn't  working  for  a  living,"  re- 
marked Dave.  "  And  to  think  that  he  told  me  he 
was  going  to  reform!  " 

"  That  sort  of  a  chap  doesn't  reform,"  asserted 
Roger. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know.     Gus  Plum  reformed." 

"  Yes,  but  Plum  isn't  like  Merwell,  or  Jasniff. 


A  GATHERING  OF  OAK  HALL  BOYS      63 

He  was  simply  overbearing.  These  other  fellows 
are  downright  dishonest." 

The  four  boys  walked  back  to  the  automobile, 
and  soon  they  were  returning  to  the  hotel  at  which 
Bert  was  staying.  By  that  time  it  was  close  to 
the  lunch  hour  and  so  the  visitors  were  invited  to 
stay  over  for  something  to  eat. 

"Didn't  catch  that  man  Haskers,  eh?"  re- 
marked Mr.  Passmore,  as  he  came  up,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Fordham. 

"  No,  he  ran  away,"  answered  Roger,  and  then 
he  and  the  others  told  of  what  had  occurred. 

"  I  am  very  thankful  to  you  for  saving  me  from 
a  bad  investment,"  said  Mr.  Fordham.  "  I  shall 
not  forget  it."  And  he  kept  his  word,  for  later 
on,  after  he  had  consulted  with  his  son  and  found 
out  just  how  worthless  was  the  stock  in  the  Sunset 
Milling  Company,  he  sent  each  of  the  boys  a  fine 
pair  of  gold  cuff-links. 

After  lunch  the  lads  remained  with  Bert  for 
about  an  hour  and  then  took  their  departure  for 
Roger's  home,  where  they  arrived  some  time  be- 
fore dark.  As  they  rolled  up  the  driveway  a  sur- 
prise awaited  them. 

"  Look  who's  here !  "  exclaimed  Dave.  "  Hello 
there,  Luke!  " 

"  Hello  yourself,"  answered  Luke  Watson,  with 
a  broad  grin.  "  I  thought  you  chaps  would  be 
along  soon." 


64    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  And  Shadow!  "  cried  Roger,  as  another  form 
came  into  view,  from  the  Morr  piazza.  "  This  is 
a  surprise !  I  didn't  expect  to  see  you  quite  so 
soon." 

"  Oh,  we  hadn't  anything  special  to  do,  so  we 
came  ahead,"  answered  Luke.  "  Hope  it  won't 
put  you  out?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  glad  you  are  here."  There  was 
a  general  handshaking,  for  the  automobile  had 
now  come  to  a  stop  and  the  boys  had  piled  out  to 
greet  their  former  schoolmates. 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story!  "  burst 
out  Shadow  Hamilton.  "  A  fellow  made  a  date 
with  a  girl  for  six  o'clock.     Well,  at  five " 

"Wow!" 

"  Shadow  is  onto  the  game  already!  " 

"  Say,  Shadow,  give  us  a  chance  to  say  how-do- 
you-do  first,  won't  you?  " 

"  I  believe  Shadow  would  try  to  tell  a  story  if 
he  was  going  to  a  funeral." 

"Oh,  say!"  burst  out  the  former  story-teller 
of  Oak  Hall.  "  That  puts  me  in  mind  of  an- 
other.    Two  Irishmen  went  to  a  funeral  and " 

"Shut  him  off!" 

"  Put  a  popcorn  ball  in  his  mouth !  " 

"  Make  him  apologize  on  the  spot!  " 
'At  once  the  four  others  surrounded  the  would- 
be  story-teller  and  pushed  him  from  the  gravel 
path  to  the  green  lawn.     Then  followed  some- 


A  GATHERING  OF  OAK  HALL  BOYS       65 

thing  of  a  wrestling  match,  all  the  lads  taking 
part. 

"  Let  up,  will  you!  "  panted  Shadow,  breaking 
away  at  last.  "  I  won't  tell  any  stories  if  you 
don't  want  to  listen  to  'em.  But  just  the  same, 
that  story  about  the  Irishmen  was  a  good  one. 
And  that  about  the  fellow  who  went  to  see  the 
girl  at  five  o'clock  is  a  corker.  You  see  his  watch 
had  stopped  and  he " 

"Jump  him!" 

"  He  can't  stop,  no  matter  how  hard  he  tries !  " 

"  Let's  stand  him  on  his  head  and  make  him 
tell  it  backwards !  " 

Again  there  was  a  rush,  but  this  time  poor 
Shadow  took  to  his  heels  and  rushed  up  on  the 
piazza,  just  as  the  door  opened  and  Mrs.  Morr 
came  out  to  greet  the  boys. 

"  Roger!  "  exclaimed  the  lady  of  the  mansion, 
turning  to  her  son,  "  what  in  the  world " 

"  Only  a  little  horse-play,  Mom,"  replied  the 
son,  with  a  smile.  "  We  are  so  glad  to  see  the 
fellows  that  we  have  to  let  off  a  little  steam." 

"  It  looked  like  a  fight  to  me." 

"  Oh,  nothing  like  that,  Mrs.  Morr,"  said  Dave, 
quickly.     "  Only  fun;  isn't  that  so,  fellows?  " 

"  Of  course !  "  was  the  quick  reply. 

"Have  you  met  Luke  and  Shadow,  Mom?" 
asked  Roger. 

"  Yes,  about  an  hour  ago.     I  told  them  that 


66    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

you  had  telephoned  that  you  were  on  the  way 
home,  so  they  said  they'd  remain  out  here,  watch- 
ing for  you.  I  showed  them  what  room  they  were 
to  occupy,"  added  the  lady  of  the  mansion. 

"  Fine!  "  cried  Roger.  "  I'll  put  the  car  away 
for  the  present,  and  then  we'll  fix  up  for  dinner 
and  listen  to  those  stories  Shadow  had  to  tell." 

"  Somebody  said  Buster  Beggs  was  coming," 
said  Luke. 

"  Yes,  he'll  be  here  the  night  before  the  Fourth." 
Quarter  of  an  hour  later  found  the  whole  crowd 
of  boys  upstairs  in  the  house.  In  anticipation  of 
the  Fourth  of  July  party,  as  she  called  it,  Mrs. 
Morr  had  turned  over  one  wing  of  the  second 
floor  of  the  big  house  to  the  youths.  There  they 
could  "  cut  up  "  to  their  hearts'  content. 

"  Say,  this  is  something  like  old  times  at  Oak 
Hall !  "  cried  Phil,  as  the  youths  gathered  in  one 
of  the  bedrooms  and  proceeded  to  distribute  them- 
selves in  various  attitudes  on  the  chairs  and  the 
bed.  "  Somehow,  I  think  we  are  going  to  miss 
that  school !  " 

"  Miss  it!  Well  I  guess  yes !  "  answered  Dave. 
"  And  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  something.     I  was 

thinking " 

"Whoop!     Is  he  going  to  tell  stories,  too?" 
"  Say,  Dave,  that  act  belongs  to  Shadow." 
"  No,  I  wasn't  going  to  tell  a  story,"  answered 
Dave.     "  I've  got  an  idea  for  a  club." 


A  GATHERING  OF  OAK  HALL  BOYS       67 

"  A  club?  What  do  you  mean?  "  asked  Roger. 
"  Do  you  mean  for  us  to  get  up  a  club?  " 

"  Yes,  the  Oak  Hall  Club,  to  be  composed  of 
fellows  who  attended  Oak  Hall  for  a  year  or 
more." 

"Great!" 

"Let  us  do  it!" 

"  We'll  make  Dave  president,"  cried  Roger. 

"  And  you  treasurer,"  added  Phil. 

"  And  Shadow  chief  story-teller,"  put  in  Luke, 
with  a  grin. 

"Huh!  What's  the  use  of  being  chief  story- 
teller when  you  won't  let  me  tell  a  story?  "  grum- 
bled Shadow.  "  But  I  know  what  I'll  do,"  he 
added,  with  a  sudden  twinkle  in  his  eye.  "  If  you 
won't  let  me  talk,  I'll  write  it  down.  And  I'll 
write  a  sentence  none  of  you  can  read  and  be 
sure  of,"  he  went  on. 

"What's  that?"  asked  Phil,  curiously.  "A 
sentence  none  of  us  can  read?  Maybe  you'll  write 
it  in  Choctaw,  or  Chinese." 

"  No,  I'll  write  it  in  plain,  every-day  United 
States,  and  none  of  you  will  be  sure  how  to  read 
it." 

"What's  the  riddle?"  demanded  Dave,  who 
saw  that  the  story-teller  had  something  up  his 
sleeve. 

"  Give  me  a  sheet  of  paper  and  a  pencil  and 
I'll  show  you,"  returned  Shadow. 


68    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Paper  and  pencil  were  furnished  by  Roger,  and 
the  story-teller  quickly  wrote  down  the  following : 

"  After  a  row  the  sailors  had  a  row." 

"  Now  read  it  out  loud!  "  cried  Shadow,  as  he 
passed  the  paper  to  the  others.  All  gazed  at  it 
for  several  seconds. 

"  I  pass,"  remarked  Dave,  calmly. 

"Why,  that's  easy!"   cried  Phil.     "After  a 

ro Say,  Shadow,  what  do  you  mean,  did  they 

quarrel  or  row  the  boat  first?  " 

"  Maybe  they  rowed  the  boat  twice,"  suggested 
Roger,  with  a  grin. 

"  Or  had  two  quarrels,"  suggested  Luke.  And 
then  a  general  laugh  went  up. 

"You've  got  us  this  time,  Shadow!"  cried 
Dave.  "  Give  him  a  lemon,  somebody,  for  a 
prize,"  and  then  another  laugh  went  up. 

"  That  idea  of  an  Oak  Hall  Club  is  a  good 
one,"  said  Luke.  "  But  you  can't  organize  it 
now — the  fellows  are  too  scattered." 

"  Oh,  I  was  thinking  we  might  do  it  later  on — 
perhaps  this  winter,"  answered  Dave. 

The  newcomers  were  much  interested  in  what 
Dave,  Phil,  and  Roger  had  to  tell  about  Job  Has- 
kers  and  Link  Merwell,  and  various  were  the 
opinions  advanced  as  to  what  had  become  of  the 
pair. 


A  GATHERING  OF  OAK  HALL  BOYS       69 

"  They  are  both  mighty  sore,  because  they  had 
to  leave  Oak  Hall  in  disgrace,"  said  Luke. 
"  Every  one  of  us  had  better  keep  his  eye  peeled, 
for  they'll  make  trouble  if  they  get  half  a  chance." 
And  then  the  bell  rang  for  dinner  and  the  boys 
went  downstairs. 

The  next  day  the  lads  were  all  busy  getting 
ready  for  the  Fourth  of  July.  It  had  been  ar- 
ranged that  they  should  have  quite  a  display  of 
fireworks  on  the  lawn  of  the  senator's  home,  and 
many  folks  of  that  vicinity  were  invited  to  attend. 

"Here  is  Buster  Beggs!"  cried  Roger,  that 
evening,  and  the  youth  who  was  so  fat  and  jolly 
hove  in  sight,  suit-case  in  hand.  He  shook  hands 
all  around  and  was  speedily  made  to  feel  at  home. 

"  Glad  you  are  going  to  have  fireworks,"  he  said 
to  Roger.  "  I  don't  care  much  for  noise  on  the 
Fourth,  but  I  dote  on  fireworks.  Let  me  set  some 
of  'em  off,  won't  you?  " 

"  Of  course,"  was  Roger's  reply.  "  We  boys 
are  going  to  give  the  exhibition,  while  the  older 
folks,  and  the  girls,  look  on." 

"  But  we  are  going  to  have  a  little  noise — at 
sunrise,"  put  in  Phil. 

"  What  kind  of  noise — a  cannon?  " 

"  No,  some  firecrackers." 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  all  right,"  answered  Buster, 
thinking  the  firecrackers  were  to  be  of  ordinary 
size. 


70    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

So  they  were — all  but  one.  But  that  one  was 
a  monster — the  largest  Phil  and  Roger  had  been 
able  to  buy.  They  had  not  told  the  others  about 
this  big  fellow,  not  even  Dave,  for  they  wanted 
the  explosion  of  that  to  be  a  surprise. 

"  It  will  sure  make  them  sit  up  and  take  notice," 
said  Phil  to  Roger,  as  the  pair  hid  the  big  cannon 
cracker  away  in  the  automobile  garage. 

"  We'll  set  it  off  back  of  the  kitchen,"  answered 
Roger.     "  It  won't  do  any  harm  there." 

On  the  night  of  the  third  the  boys  retired  some- 
what early,  so  as  to  be  up  bright  and  early  for 
the  glorious  Fourth. 

They  had  been  sleeping  less  than  an  hour  when 
a  sudden  cry  awakened  them. 

"Fire!  Fire!  Get  up,  boys!  The  garage  is 
on  fire,  and  I  am  afraid  the  gasoline  tank  will  blow 
up!" 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FIRE   AND   FIRECRACKERS 

"What's  that!" 

"  The  garage  on  fire !  " 

"  Say,  look  at  the  blaze!  " 

Such  were  some  of  the  cries,  as  the  boys  tumbled 
out  of  bed,  one  after  another.  A  bright  glare  of 
fire  was  dancing  over  the  walls  of  the  rooms. 

"It's  some  brushwood  behind  the  garage!" 
announced  Dave,  as  he  poked  his  head  out  of  a 
window  to  look.  "  It's  that  big  heap  the  gardener 
put  there  yesterday." 

"  He  shouldn't  have  placed  it  so  close,"  said 
Luke.  "  Why  didn't  he  rake  it  to  some  spot  in 
the  open?  " 

All  of  the  boys  were  hurrying  into  their  clothing 
as  fast  as  possible.  The  alarm  had  been  given 
by  Senator  Morr,  and  by  the  chauffeur,  who  slept 
in  a  room  of  the  barn  next  to  the  garage. 

"  Oh,  Roger!  "  gasped  Phil.  "  That  big  can- 
non cracker !  " 

"I  was  thinking  of  it,  Phil!"  returned  the 
senator's  son,  hurriedly.  "  We  must  get  it  out 
somehow !  " 

71 


72    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  If  it  goes  off  it  will  wreck  the  building!  " 

"  Yes,  and  the  gasoline  tank  with  it!  " 

The  tank  in  question  was  not  underground,  as 
would  have  been  safer,  but  was  located  in  a 
bricked-up  place  at  one  side  of  the  garage.  In  the 
storehouse  were  two  barrels  of  gasoline,  and  also 
some  lubricating  oils.  If  that  storehouse  caught, 
it  would  certainly  make  a  hot  and  dangerous 
blaze. 

Pell-mell  down  the  stairs  rushed  the  youths,  one 
after  another.  In  the  meantime  Senator  Morr 
was  dressing  and  so  were  the  others  of  the  house- 
hold. 

11  Be  careful,  boys !  Don't  go  too  close !  " 
warned  Mrs.  Morr. 

"  Watch  out  for  an  explosion !  "  puffed  her  hus- 
band. The  senator  was  so  stout  that  dressing  in 
a  hurry  was  no  easy  matter  for  him. 

When  the  boys  got  out  in  the  garden  they  found 
the  chauffeur  and  the  gardener  at  work,  trying  to 
pull  the  burning  brushwood  away  from  the  garage. 
The  flames  were  crackling  merrily  and  the  sparks 
were  flying  in  various  directions. 

"  I'm  going  in  and  get  that  big  cannon  cracker," 
said  Roger  to  Phil,  in  a  low  voice,  so  that  the 
others  might  not  hear. 

"  I'll  go  with  you,  Roger.  Be  careful,  though, 
the  sparks  are  flying  all  round  that  doorway." 

"  I've  shut  everything!  "  bawled  the  chauffeur, 


FIRE  AND  FIRECRACKERS  73 

as  he  saw  Roger  at  the  big  sliding  doors.  "  Bet- 
ter not  open  up,  or  the  fire  will  get  inside." 

"  I've  got  to  go  in,  Jake !  "  answered  Roger. 
"  I've  got  to  get  something  out." 

"  What?  "  asked  Dave,  who  was  close  by. 

"  Never  mind,  Dave.  It's  something  that  can't 
be  left  in  there,"  and  so  speaking  Roger  slid 
open  a  door  and  hurried  inside  the  garage.  Phil 
came  directly  behind  him. 

On  the  floor,  in  a  corner,  was  a  box  with  ordi- 
nary firecrackers  in  it — about  two  hundred  packs 
in  all.  On  top  of  this  was  a  package  in  paper 
containing  the  big  cannon  cracker. 

"Lookout!" 

"It's  on  fire!" 

Thus  yelled  both  boys  as  they  saw  that  the 
flames  from  the  brushwood  had  made  their  way 
into  a  corner  of  the  garage,  just  where  the  fire- 
crackers had  been  placed.  For  an  instant  they 
hesitated,  then  both  leaped  forward  again  and 
commenced  to  stamp  out  the  fire. 

It  had  caught  at  a  corner  of  the  box  contain- 
ing the  smaller  firecrackers  and  was  also  at 
the  paper  containing  the  cannon  cracker.  This 
Phil  caught  up,  knocking  the  fire  away  with  his 
hand. 

"  What  are  you  after,  anyway?  "  The  question 
came  from  Dave,  who  had  followed  his  chums  into 
the  building.     Buster,   Shadow,   and  Luke   were 


74    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

outside,  at  the  rear,  helping  to  pull  the  brushwood 
away  and  stamp  out  the  flames. 

"Firecrackers — a  box  full!"  cried  Roger. 
"We  must  get  it  out!  " 

"A  giant  firecracker!"  added  Phil.  "Big 
enough  to  blow  down  a  house !  "  And  he  held  up 
the  package  and  then  made  a  dive  for  the  outer 
air,  for  the  garage  was  now  full  of  smoke. 

Dave  understood  on  the  instant,  and  stooped  to 
pick  up  one  end  of  the  burning  box.  Roger  took 
the  other  end,  and  thus  they  ran  from  the  garage. 

Crack !  crack !  crack !  It  was  the  small  fire- 
crackers in  the  box  that  were  beginning  to  go  off, 
the  pieces  flying  through  a  lower  corner  of  the 
burning  box. 

"Into  the  back  yard  with  it!"  cried  Roger. 
"  Keep  it  away  from  the  buildings!  " 

"All  right,  this  way!"  answered  Dave,  and 
then  the  pair  made  for  something  of  an  open  lot 
behind  the  kitchen  of  the  mansion  and  there  threw 
the  box  on  the  ground.  Crack !  bang !  crack !  went 
the  firecrackers,  going  off  singly  and  in  bunches, 
until  all  were  shot  off. 

"  It's  a  pity  we  didn't  save  'em,"  said  Roger, 
mournfully. 

"  It's  a  grand  good  thing  they  didn't  go  off  in 
the  garage,"  returned  Dave. 

"  Well,  I  saved  the  big  cannon  cracker  any- 
way," said  Phil,  as  he  walked  up  at  that  moment. 


FIRE  AND  FIRECRACKERS  75 

"Where  did  you  put  it?"  questioned  Roger, 
quickly. 

"  Over  there,  in  a  corner  of  the  fence.  I  didn't 
want  to  take  any  chances,  otherwise  I  might  have 
taken  it  to  the  barn." 

"  Better  leave  it  outside,  where  it  can't  do  any 
damage,"  said  Dave. 

While  talking,  the  three  boys  had  been  running 
back  to  the  garage.  There  they  found  their  chums 
and  the  men  at  work,  including  Senator  Morr,  all 
hauling  the  burning  brushwood  away  and  pouring 
water  from  a  small  hose  on  the  flames.  The  most 
of  the  fire  was  out,  so  they  found  little  to  do. 
Only  one  corner  of  the  garage  had  been  touched, 
and  for  this  the  senator  was  thankful. 

"  But  it  was  careless  of  you,  James,  to  put  that 
brushwood  there,  so  close  to  the  building,"  he 
said  to  the  garnder,  "  Don't  do  it  again." 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  I  didn't  put  the  brushwood 
as  close  as  that,"  replied  the  gardener,  stoutly. 
"  Somebody  else  did  that." 

"  What!  "  cried  the  senator,  in  surprise. 

"  I  said  I  didn't  put  the  brushwood  so  close  to 
the  garage,  sir,"  repeated  the  gardener.  "  I  put 
it  right  there,"  and  he  pointed  to  a  spot  about  fif- 
teen feet  from  the  rear  wall  of  the  building.  "  I 
was  going  to  burn  it  up  first  thing  in  the  morn- 
ing,— that  is  if  the  young  gentlemen  didn't  want 
the  stuff  for  a  bonfire  at  night." 


76    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  But  who  did  put  the  brushwood  up  against 
the  garage?  "  demanded  Senator  Morr. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  put  in  the  chauffeur. 
"  But  what  James  says,  sir,  is  true — he  put  the 
heap  out  there — I  was  working  around  the  garage 
when  he  did  it." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate  that  this  fire  was 
set  by  somebody?  "  cried  the  senator,  quickly. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  sir,"  answered  the 
chauffeur,  while  the  gardener  merely  shrugged  his 
shoulders.  He  was  an  old  man  and  one  who  had 
been  trusted  by  the  Morrs  for  years. 

"  If  what  you  say  is  true,  I'll  have  to  look  into 
this  matter,"  remarked  Senator  Morr.  "  I  don't 
propose  to  have  my  garage  burnt  down,  with  two 
automobiles  worth  five  thousand  dollars, — not  to 
say  anything  about  the  danger  to  the  rest  of  the 
place.     If  I  find " 

Bang!  It  was  an  explosion  like  a  cannon  and 
made  everybody  jump.  As  Dave  looked,  he  saw 
a  corner  of  a  distant  fence  fly  apart,  and  bits  of 
fire  seemed  to  fill  the  midnight  air.  Then  followed 
utter  silence. 

"  The  cannon  cracker!  "  gasped  Phil. 

"What  could  have  made  it  go  off?"  asked 
Roger. 

"  Some  sparks  from  this  fire — or  else  it  was  lit 
when  Phil  took  it  out,"  answered  Dave. 

11  What  are  you  talking  about?  "  asked  Senator 


As  Dave  looked,  he  saw  a  corner  of  a  distant  fence  fly 
APART.— Pagre  76. 


FIRE  AND  FIRECRACKERS  77 

Morr,  and  when  he  had  been  told  he  shook  his 
head  and  smiled,  grimly. 

"  Well,  I'm  glad  it  didn't  go  off  in  the  garage," 
he  said.  "  But  after  this  you  must  keep  your 
explosives  in  a  safer  place.  Jake,  James,  bring 
some  buckets  of  water  and  put  out  that  fire  from 
the  explosion.  It  isn't  much,  but  we  want  no  more 
sparks  flying  around  here." 

The  water  was  brought,  and  soon  every  spark 
had  been  extinguished.  Then  the  crowd  went 
back  to  the  garage,  to  make  sure  that  no  more  fire 
lingered  in  that  vicinity. 

"  It  certainly  looks  as  if  somebody  had  set  this 
fire,"  mused  Senator  Morr.  "  Perhaps  a  tramp. 
Have  you  seen  any  such  fellows  around  here?" 
he  asked,  looking  at  the  others. 

The  boys  had  seen  no  tramps  at  all,  and  James 
said  he  had  seen  none  for  over  a  week. 

"  I  saw  one  day  before  yesterday,"  said  the 
chauffeur,  "  but  I  know  he  left  town  that  night — I 
saw  him  board  a  freight  train." 

"  Well,  it  is  strange.  Keep  your  eyes  open," 
said  Senator  Morr,  and  then  he  returned  to  the 
house,  to  quiet  his  wife  and  retire  once  more. 

"  It's  mighty  queer  about  that  fire,"  remarked 
Luke,  when  the  boys  were  undressing.  "  It  cer- 
tainly does  look  as  if  it  was  set." 

"  Dave,  do  you  think  Merwell  and  Haskers 
would  do  it?  "  questioned  Roger. 


78    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Yes,  if  they  were  in  this  neighborhood.  But 
have  they  been  here?  " 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other.  Nobody  had 
seen  Merwell  or  the  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall 
in  that  vicinity. 

"  Let  us  make  some  inquiries  down  at  the  rail- 
road station  in  the  morning,"  suggested  Dave. 
"  If  those  two  stopped  off  here  somebody  must 
have  seen  them." 

"  Phew !  what  a  noise  that  cannon  cracker  did 
make!"  murmured  Phil.  "If  we  had  set  that 
off  in  the  morning — as  we  intended — I  reckon  it 
would  have  woke  up  the  neighborhood  pretty 
well." 

"  It  did  wake  some  folks  up,"  answered  Roger, 
for  quite  a  few  boys  and  men  had  come  up  to  find 
out  what  the  flames  and  noise  meant. 

"  It  was  certainly  some  firecracker,"  was  Luke's 
comment. 

"  Say,  speaking  of  firecrackers  puts  me  in  mind 
of  a  story!  "  burst  out  Shadow. 

"Wow!  A  story  this  time  of  night!"  mur- 
mured Buster.         I'm  going  to  bed." 

"  This  is  a  short  one,"  pleaded  the  would-be 
story-teller.  "  A  man  was  giving  a  celebration 
one  Fourth  of  July  to  a  lot  of  children.  He  had 
ordered  a  lot  of  firecrackers,  but  they  didn't  come. 
So  he  sent  a  telegram  to  the  wholesale  house  in  the 
city.     '  Send  big  and  little  crackers  as  ordered  at 


FIRE  AND  FIRECRACKERS  79 

once.'  About  an  hour  afterwards  he  got  a  return 
telegram  which  said,  '  Our  grocery  department  is 
closed  to-day.  Your  order  for  crackers  will  be 
filled  to-morrow.'  " 

"  Call  that  a  crackerjack  joke?  "  asked  Roger, 
with  a  grin. 

"  Don't  crack  any  more  like  that,  Shadow," 
added  Dave. 

"  You  might  get  fired  if  you  do,"  contributed 
Phil ;  and  then  a  general  laugh  went  up,  after  which 
all  of  the  boys  again  retired. 

In  the  morning  the  lads  inspected  the  vicinity 
of  the  fire  once  more,  and  spent  some  time  in  shoot- 
ing off  a  pistol  and  a  shotgun  which  Roger  pos- 
sessed. Then,  acting  on  a  suggestion  from  Dave, 
they  took  a  walk  to  the  railroad  station. 

Here  an  interesting  bit  of  news  awaited  them, 
which  was  to  the  effect  that,  owing  to  some  trouble 
with  a  bridge  about  a  mile  outside  of  Hemson, 
two  passenger  trains  and  a  freight  had  been  held 
up  at  the  station  for  several  hours. 

"  Most  of  the  passengers  remained  in  the 
trains,"  said  the  station  agent.  "  But  some  of  'em 
got  restless  and  they  went  over  to  the  hotel,  and 
some  walked  down  to  where  the  bridge  was  being 
repaired." 

"  Did  you  notice  two  people  in  particular?  " 
asked  Roger,  and  described  Merwell  and  Job  Has- 
kers  as  well  as  he  could. 


80    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  No,  I  don't  remember  seeing  those  fellows," 
said  the  agent. 

From  the  railroad  station  the  boys  went  to  the 
hotel,  and  then  walked  along  the  country  road 
leading  to  the  Morr  place.  Presently  they  met  a 
man  driving  a  milk  wagon. 

"  Say,  you  had  a  fire  last  night,  didn't  you?  " 
asked  the  driver  of  Roger,  as  he  reined  up. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Piatt,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 
"  But  it  didn't  amount  to  anything." 

"  How  did  it  catch,  do  you  know?  "  went  on  the 
driver  of  the  milk  wagon,  curiously. 

"  No,  we  are  trying  to  find  out." 

"  Maybe  it  was  set.  I  see  two  fellers  sneakin' 
around  your  place  last  evening,"  went  on  Mr. 
Piatt. 


CHAPTER  IX 

WHAT  NAT  POOLE    HAD  TO  TELL 

"  You  saw  two  fellows  sneaking  around  our 
place  last  evening?  "  cried  Roger,  with  interest. 

"  I  certainly  did." 

"  What  did  they  look  like?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  I  see  'em  plainly  an'  I  was  wonderin'  what 
they  was  up  to,"  said  the  driver  of  the  milk  wagon, 
and  then  he  described  the  two  persons  quite 
minutely. 

"  Haskers  and  Merwell,  beyond  a  doubt!  "  ex- 
claimed Phil.  "  Now  what  do  you  know  about 
that!" 

"  It  certainly  is  the  limit!  "  murmured  Luke. 

"  Wonder  if  they  are  still  around?  "  came  from 

Shadow.      "  Say,  this  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  sto 

But  never  mind,  I'll  tell  it  another  time,"  he  broke 
off,  hastily,  as  he  saw  a  look  of  disgust  on  the 
others'  faces. 

"  I-  don't  believe  they  are  around,"  said  Dave. 
"  They  probably  boarded  the  first  train  that  went 
over  the  bridge." 

11  Just  what  I  think,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 

81 


82    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"Think  them  fellers  set  the  fire?"  asked  Mr. 
Piatt,  curiously. 

"  We  feel  certain  of  it,"  replied  Roger.  "  They 
are  old  school  enemies  of  ours,"  he  added.  "  It's 
only  one  more  score  we've  got  to  settle  with  them," 
he  continued,  to  his  chums,  and  shut  his  teeth  with 
a  snap. 

Nothing  further  could  be  learned  concerning 
the  mysterious  visitors,  and  finally  the  boys  went 
back  to  the  Morr  mansion,  to  get  ready  for  the 
evening  celebration.  This  came  off  as  scheduled 
and  proved  a  big  success.  Fully  a  hundred  town 
folk  were  present,  besides  some  from  the  lake  and 
elsewhere.  There  were  rockets  and  Roman  can- 
dles and  wheels  galore,  as  well  as  several  set 
pieces.  Some  fire  balloons  were  also  liberated. 
Senator  Morr  had  engaged  a  local  band  of  eight 
pieces,  and  if  the  music  was  not  of  a  high  order 
it  was  certainly  patriotic,  and  that  counted  for  a 
good  deal. 

Of  course  the  other  boys  had  to  hear  all  about 
the  proposed  trip  West  and,  incidentally,  about  the 
lost  Landslide  Mine.  From  his  father  and 
mother  Roger  got  some  more  details  concerning 
the  missing  property.  A  map  was  produced,  and 
also  some  papers,  and  the  son  was  advised  to  hunt 
up  an  old  miner  and  prospector  named  Abe 
Blower. 

"  Abe  Blower  knew  your  Uncle  Maurice  well," 


WHAT  NAT  POOLE  HAD  TO  TELL        83 

said  Mrs.  Morr,  to  her  son.  "  They  were 
friends  for  years.  I  am  sure  if  you  can  find  Mr. 
Blower  he  will  do  all  he  can  for  you,  and  for  me, 
too. 

"  Then  I'll  do  what  I  can  to  find  him,  first  of 
all,"  answered  Roger. 

At  last  came  the  time  when  Dave  must  leave  the 
Morr  home  and  return  to  Crumville.  He  was 
going  alone,  but  he  promised  to  keep  in  constant 
communication  with  the  others. 

"  I  wish  I  was  going  on  that  western  trip,"  said 
Shadow,  wistfully.  "  You'll  have  barrels  of  fun, 
and  if  you  do  locate  that  Landslide  Mine — well,  it 
will  be  a  big  feather  in  your  cap." 

"  I'd  like  to  go,  too,"  said  Buster. 

"  I  reckon  we'd  all  like  to  go,"  cried  the  others, 
in  concert. 

"  Well,  there  is  just  this  much  about  it,"  re- 
turned Dave.  "  Anybody  who  has  the  price  can 
go  on  that  personally-conducted  tour  to  Yellow- 
stone Park,  and,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  you 
can  go  from  there  into  the  mountains  and  look 
for  the  mine." 

"  Why,  of  course !  "  burst  out  Roger.  "  If  any 
of  you  want  to  go,  just  say  the  word." 

This  brought  on  a  discussion  lasting  nearly  an 
hour.  In  the  end  several  of  the  lads  said  they 
would  see  what  they  could  do,  and  would  write 
about  it  later,  or  telegraph. 


84    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Say,  but  wouldn't  it  be  grand  if  we  could  locate 
that  lost  mine!  "  cried  Phil,  enthusiastically. 

"  Well,  we'll  have  a  try  at  it,"  returned 
Dave. 

At  last  came  the  time  for  Dave  to  leave.  Some 
of  the  others  had  already  gone.  Roger  drove  his 
chum  down  to  the  railroad  station  in  the  run- 
about. The  two  were  alone.  Dave  noticed  that 
the  senator's  son  seemed  unusually  thoughtful. 

"  What's  up,  Roger?  "  he  asked,  at  last.  "  You 
don't  seem  quite  like  yourself." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  that  I  ought  to  say  any- 
thing, Dave,"  was  the  hesitating  answer. 

"  If  there  is  anything  I  can  do " 

"  No,  it  isn't  that."  Roger  gave  a  deep  sigh. 
"I  wish  we  could  locate  that  mine!"  he  mur- 
mured. 

"  So  you  were  thinking  about  that?  Well,  we 
may  have  luck.    Let  us  hope  so,"  and  Dave  smiled. 

"  I  might  as  well  tell  you  how  it  is,"  continued 
Roger,  as  he  drove  up  to  the  little  railroad  sta- 
tion. He  looked  around,  to  make  sure  that  no  out- 
siders were  listening.  "  You  know  father  comes 
up  for  re-election  this  fall." 

"  Oh,  does  his  term  as  senator  run  out?  " 

"  Yes.  Well,  there  is  a  movement  on  foot  to 
put  somebody  else  in  his  place.  If  they  do  that — 
well,  he'll  be  out,  that's  all." 

"What  will  he  do  then?" 


WHAT  NAT  POOLE  HAD  TO  TELL       85 

"  That's  just  it.  I  don't  know  what  he  can  do. 
He  used  to  be  in  an  office  business,  but  he  gave  that 
up  to  go  into  politics.  Now,  if  he  gets  out,  he 
will  have  to  start  all  over  again." 

"  Hasn't  he  anything  at  all — I  mean  any  busi- 
ness? " 

"  Not  anything  regular.  He  dabbles  a  little  in 
real  estate." 

"  Then  I  hope  they  don't  put  him  out,  Roger." 

"  And— er — that  isn't  all,  Dave.  I  wouldn't 
tell  anybody  but  you — and  maybe  Phil.  He  has 
spent  a  lot  of  money  while  in  politics — it  costs  a 
good  deal  to  live  in  Washington.  I  heard  him 
tell  mother  about  it.  If  he  goes  out,  it  will  go 
hard  with  him.  Now,  if  we  had  that  mine,  and 
it  was  as  valuable  as  they  think  it  is " 

"  I  see,  Roger.  We'll  have  to  do  our  level  best 
to  find  the  mine." 

"  If  mother  had  the  mine  she  could  let  dad  use 
the  money  in  any  way  he  pleased.  But  if  we 
haven't  got  the  mine  to  fall  back  on,  and  dad  gets 
out  of  politics — well,  it  is  going  to  make  hard 
sledding  for  us." 

"  Roger,  if  it  gets  too  bad,  don't  you  hesitate 
to  come  to  us!"  cried  Dave,  quickly.  "I  am 
sure  my  father,  and  my  Uncle  Dunston,  would  be 
only  too  glad  to  help  you  out." 

"  Thank  you,  Dave;  but  I  don't  think  it  will  get 
to  be  as  bad  as  that,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 


86    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

And  then  the  train  came  along  and  Dave  had  to 
bid  his  chum  good-by. 

The  car  was  only  half  filled  with  people,  so 
Dave  had  a  double  seat  to  himself.  He  placed 
his  suit-case  in  the  rack  overhead  and  then  sank, 
down  by  the  window,  to  gaze  at  the  swiftly  moving 
panorama  and  give  himself  up  to  thought. 

"Hello,  Dave!" 

The  youth  looked  up,  to  see,  standing  beside 
him,  Nat  Poole,  the  son  of  the  money-lender  of 
Crumville — a  tall,  awkward  youth  with  a  face 
that  was  inclined  to  scowl  more  than  to  smile.  In 
the  past  Nat  had  played  Dave  many  a  mean  trick, 
and  had  usually  gotten  the  worst  of  it.  Nat  had 
been  in  the  class  with  our  hero,  but  had  failed  to 
pass  for  graduation,  much  to  his  chagrin. 

"  Hello,  Nat!  "  cried  Dave.  He  put  as  much 
warmth  as  possible  in  the  salutation,  for  he  felt 
sorry  for  the  boy  who  had  failed.  "  Bound  for 
home?" 

"  Yes."  The  money-lender's  son  hesitated  for 
a  moment.      "  Want  me  to  sit  with  you?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  like,"  and  Dave  shoved 
over  to  make  room. 

"  Been  visiting  an  old  aunt  of  mine,"  explained 
Nat  as  he  sat  down.  "  Had  a  slow  time  of  it, 
too,  over  the  Fourth.     Where  have  you  been?  " 

Dave  told  him.  "  We  had  a  dandy  time,  too," 
he  added. 


WHAT  NAT  POOLE  HAD  TO  TELL       87 

"It  must  have  been  fine."  Nat  gave  a  sigh. 
"I  wish  I  had  been — but  what's  the  use?  You 
fellows  wouldn't  care  for  me." 

"  What  were  you  going  to  say,  Nat?  " 

"  I  might  have  been  there  myself,  if  I  hadn't — 
well,  if  I  hadn't  made  a  big  fool  of  myself!" 
burst  out  the  money-lender's  son.  "  Yes,  that's 
what  I  did,  made  a  fool  of  myself!  Uncle  Tom 
told  me  the  plain  truth." 

"  I  thought  you  said  you'd  been  visiting  an 
aunt." 

"  So  I  have,  but  she's  married  again, — married 
a  man  named  Tom  Allen,  a  merchant.  He  knows 
father,  and  he  flocked  it  into  the  old  man  in  great 
shape,"  and  Nat  actually  chuckled.  "  Told  me 
just  what  kind  of  a  man  dad  was — hard-fisted  and 
miserly — somebody  nobody  loved  or  wanted  to 
associate  with.  And  he  warned  me  not  to  grow 
up  the  same  way — not  to  think  money  was  every- 
thing, and  all  that.  He  said  a  boy  ought  to  be 
known  for  his  real  worth,  not  his  dollars  and  his 
clothes." 

"  He's  right  there,  Nat." 

"  Yes,  he  opened  my  eyes.  And  when  he  asked 
me  about  Oak  Hall,  and  you  fellows,  and  how  I 
had  missed  passing,  he  told  me  the  truth  about 
myself.  I — well,  I  resented  it  at  first,  but  by  and 
by  I  got  to  thinking  he  must  be  right,  and  the 
more  I  thought  of  it,  the  more  I  made  up  my 


88    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

mind  that  I  had  been  a  big  fool.     And  then  I 

made  a  resolve "     Nat  stopped  and  gave  a 

gulp. 

"A  resolve?" 

"  Yes.  I  resolved  that,  the  first  time  I  met 
you,  Dave,  and  the  others,  I  was  going  to  eat 
humble  pie  and  tell  you  just  what  I  thought  of 
myself."  The  son  of  the  money-lender  was  in  a 
perspiration  now  and  mopped  his  face  with  his 
handkerchief. 

Dave  hardly  knew  how  to  reply.  Here  was  Nat 
Poole  in  certainly  an  entirely  new  role. 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  you  are  going  to  turn  over 
a  new  leaf,"  he  returned.  "  I  hope  you  make  a 
success  of  it." 

"  Do  you  really,  Dave?  "  There  was  an  eager 
note  in  Nat's  voice. 

"  Sure  I  do,  Nat.  You'd  be  all  right,  if— 
if " 

"  Go  ahead,  give  it  to  me  straight,  just  as 
Uncle  Tom  did." 

"  Well,  if  you  wouldn't  be  quite  so  conceited 
and  stuck-up,  and  if  you'd  buckle  down  a  bit  more 
to  studying." 

"  That's  what  I  am  going  to  do — buckle  down 
to  study  next  fall.  And  if  I  show  any  conceit  in 
the  future,  well,  I  want  you  and  Ben  Basswood, 
and  Roger  and  Phil,  and  all  the  others,  to  knock 
it  right  out  of  me,"  went  on  the  money-lender's 


WHAT  NAT  POOLE  HAD  TO  TELL       89 

son,  earnestly.  "  My  eyes  are  open  and  I'm  going 
ahead,  and  I  don't  want  to  slip  backwards." 

"  I'll  help  you  all  I  can,  Nat,"  and  Dave  held 
out  his  hand,  which  the  other  grasped  vigorously. 

"  This  talk  with  Uncle  Tom  woke  me  up,"  went 
on  Nat,  a  moment  later.  "  When  I  get  home,  I 
am  going  to  try  to  wake  dad  up,  too.  It's  going 
to  be  no  easy  task,  but  I'll  do  it.  I  know  ma  will 
be  on  my  side — she  was  never  after  the  money  like 
dad  was.  I  am  going  to  prove  to  him  that  he 
has  got  to  do  something  else  besides  get  money." 

"  I  wish  you  luck,  Nat,"  replied  Dave.  He 
could  not  help  but  smile  when  he  thought  of  the 
hard-fisted  money-lender,  and  what  he  might  say 
when  his  son  went  at  the  task  of  making  him  more 
kind  and  benevolent. 

"  And,  by  the  way,  Dave,  now  I  am  going  to 
turn  over  a  new  leaf,  I  want  to  tell  you  about  a 
letter  I  received  some  time  ago,"  went  on  Nat, 
after  a  pause,  during  which  the  train  stopped  at  a 
station  to  take  on  some  passengers. 

"A  letter?" 

"  Yes.     You'd  never  guess  who  it  was  from." 

"Gus  Plum?" 

"  No,  Link  Merwell." 

"  Link  Merwell !  "  exclaimed  our  hero,  in  sur- 
prise. "  What  did  he  write  to  you  about,  Nat? 
Not  that  diamond  robbery?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  he  had  precious  little  to  say  about 


go    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

that,  for  he  must  know  I  knew  he  and  Jasniff  were 
guilty.  Ha  wrote  about  you.  It  was  a  long  let- 
ter— nearly  eight  pages — and  he  spoke  about  what 
you  had  done  to  get  him  and  me  into  trouble." 

"  I  never  tried  to  get  you  into  trouble,  Nat." 

"  I  know  it.  But  I  used  to  think  you  were  try- 
ing to  do  it.  Well,  Link  wrote  about  it,  and  he 
wanted  to  know  if  I  would  help  him  in  a  scheme 
to  pay  you  back.  He  said  he  had  a  dandy  scheme 
to  pay  you  off." 

"Oh,  he  did?"  said  Dave,  with  interest. 
"  What  was  the  scheme?  " 

11  He  didn't  say." 

"  What  did  you  answer?  " 

"  I  didn't  answer  the  letter.  I  kept  it  to  think 
about.  Then,  yesterday,  after  my  last  talk  with 
Uncle  Tom,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  wash  my  hands 
of  Link  Merwell,  and  I  burned  the  letter  up." 


CHAPTER  X 


DAVE  AT   HOME 


"  I'm  glad  you  washed  your  hands  of  Merwell, 
Nat,"  replied  Dave,  with  warmth.  "  He  is  not 
the  sort  for  any  respectable  fellow  to  associate 
with.  But  about  that  letter.  Have  you  any  idea 
what  he  was  going  to  do?  " 

"  No.  All  he  said  was,  '  If  you  will  join  with 
me  we  can  pay  Dave  Porter  off  good  and  get  him 
in  the  biggest  kind  of  a  hole.'  I  guess  you  had 
better  keep  your  eyes  open,  Dave." 

"  I  am  doing  that  already." 

"  I — I  made  up  my  mind  I'd  tell  you — when  I 
got  to  Crumville,"  faltered  the  money-lender's 
son.     "  I  didn't  want  you  to  suffer  at  his  hands." 

"  I've  got  my  eyes  open  already,"  was  Dave's 
reply.  "  Let  me  tell  you  something,  Nat."  And 
then  he  related  the  particulars  of  the  affair  at  Lake 
Sargola,  and  told  about  the  burning  of  the  garage. 

"And  to  think  Job  Haskers  is  with  him!" 
cried  Nat.  "  Say,  they'll  make  a  team,  won't 
they!" 

"  Yes,  for  I'm  thinking  that  Haskers  is  about 
as  bad  as  Merwell,"  answered  Dave. 

91 


92    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

After  that  came  a  pause,  neither  youth  knowing 
exactly  what  to  say.     Then  Nat  cleared  his  throat. 

"  I — I'd  like  you  to  do  me  a  favor,"  he  stam- 
mered. 

"All  right,  Nat.  What  is  it?"  returned  our 
hero,  promptly. 

"  If  you  get  the  chance  will  you  tell  Ben  Bass- 
wood  and  the  other  fellows  how  I'm  going  to  be — 
er — different  after  this?  And  will  you  tell  your 
sister  and  Jessie,  too?  I  don't  want  them  to — to 
— think  I'm  wanting  to  do  anything  more  that's 
mean.  I  want  to  be — be,  well,  friendly — if  they'll 
let  me,"  and  Nat's  face  grew  very  red  as  he  made 
the  admission. 

"  I'll  tell  them  all — the  first  chance  I  get,"  prom- 
ised Dave.  "  And  I  am  sure  they  will  be  pleased. 
Why,  Nat,  I  know  you  can  turn  over  a  new  leaf, 
if  you  want  to.  Look  at  Gus  Plum,  how  mean 
he  used  to  be,  and  what  a  bully!  And  look  at 
him  now.  He's  a  first-rate  fellow.  You  can  do 
it  if  Plum  can,  can't  you?  " 

"  I'm  going  to  try,  anyway." 

"  And  I'll  help  you  all  I  can — and  there's  my 
hand  on  it,"  answered  Dave,  and  then  the  two  lads 
shook  hands. 

A  talk  lasting  all  the  way  to  Crumville  followed. 
As  they  rolled  into  the  station  Nat  left  rather 
hastily,  going  to  the  rear  of  the  car,  while  Dave 
went   forward.      The   money-lender's    son   knew 


DAVE  AT  HOME  93 

Dave  expected  to  meet  his  sister  and  friends  and 
he  did  not,  just  then,  wish  to  face  the  party. 

"There's  Dave!  "  cried  Jessie  Wadsworth,  as 
she  caught  sight  of  him  through  a  car  window. 

"Hello,  everybody!"  cried  the  youth,  as  he 
swung  himself  from  the  car  steps.  He  gave  Jes- 
sie's hand  a  tight  squeeze  and  then  kissed  his  sister. 
"  How  are  you?  " 

"  Oh,  fine !  "  came  from  both  girls. 

"Hello,  Davy!"  cried  a  merry  voice,  and 
Dunston  Porter,  the  lad's  uncle,  came  striding  for- 
ward from  an  automobile  near  by.  "  How  did 
you  leave  Senator  Morr  and  his  family,  and  are 
you  ready  for  that  trip  through  Yellowstone 
Park?" 

"  I  left  the  senator  and  his  family  well,"  was 
the  answer.  "  And  I  am  ready  for  the  trip — that 
is — part  of  the  trip,"  Dave  added,  hastily. 

"  Part  of  the  trip  ?  "  cried  Jessie.  "  Why,  what 
do  you  mean?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  later.  Oh,  I've  got  lots  and  lots 
to  tell,"  went  on  Dave,  with  a  smile.  He  caught 
Laura  and  Jessie  by  the  arms.  "  See  Nat  Poole 
over  yonder?  "  he  whispered.  "  Well,  you  want 
to  be  nice  to  Nat  after  this,  for  he  is  going  to 
reform." 

"  Reform?  "  queried  his  sister. 

"  Really?  "  added  Jessie. 

"  That's  what  he  told  me.     We  had  quite  a  talk 


94    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

on  the  train.  I'll  tell  you  about  it  later.  And 
I've  got  a  lot  more  to  tell,"  Dave  went  on.  "  All 
about  a  lost  gold  mine  that  belongs  to  Mrs.  Morr, 
Roger's  mother." 

"  A  lost  gold  mine!  "  exclaimed  Dunston  Por- 
ter.    "Is  this  a  joke,  Dave?" 

"  No,  sir,  it's  the  truth.  The  strangest  tale 
you  ever  heard.  When  we  go  out  to  Yellowstone 
Park  we — that  is,  us  boys — are  going  to  look  for 
the  mine." 

"Of  all  things!"  burst  out  Laura.  "Say, 
Dave,  will  you  ever  settle  down?  Here  I  thought 
you  were  going  to  take  a  nice  little  personally- 
conducted  tour  with  us,  and  you  talk  of  going  land 
knows  where  to  look  for  a  lost  gold  mine!  " 

"Is  it  very  far?"  asked  Jessie,  and  her  face 
showed  some  disappointment. 

"  Oh,  it's  not  very  far  from  Yellowstone  Park," 
answered  the  youth.  "  It's  in  Montana,  and  you 
know  a  corner  of  the  Park  is  in  that  State." 

All  had  walked  toward  the  automobile,  which 
Mr.  Porter  had  been  running.  The  girls  got  in 
the  tonneau  and  Dave  climbed  into  the  front  seat 
beside  his  uncle.  Just  as  they  were  about  to  start, 
Nat  Poole  walked  past,  suit-case  m  hand,  and 
tipped  his  hat  politely.  Both  girls  smiled  and 
bowed  and  Mr.  Porter  nodded.  Then  the  touring- 
car  rolled  off  in  the  direction  of  the  big  Wads- 
worth  mansion,  where,  as  I  have  before  stated, 


DAVE  AT  HOME  95 

the  Porters  resided  with  the  jeweler's  family  and 
old  Caspar  Potts. 

As  they  passed  through  the  main  street  of 
Crumville — now  built  up  a  great  deal  more  than 
when  Dave  had  first  known  it — many  persons 
bowed  and  smiled  to  all  in  the  car.  Everybody 
knew  the  Porters  and  liked  them,  and  the  fact  that 
Dave  had  once  been  an  inmate  of  the  local  poor- 
house  was  almost  forgotten. 

To  the  youth  himself  the  ride  was  full  of  inter- 
est. As  he  sat  back  in  the  comfortable  seat  of  the 
automobile  he  could  not  help  but  think  of  the 
many  changes  that  had  taken  place  since  he  had 
been  found  wandering  along  the  railroad  tracks, 
alone  and  hungry.  He  had  found  a  father,  an 
uncle,  and  a  sister,  and  he  had  made  many  warm 
friends,  including  Jessie  Wadsworth,  to  him  the 
dearest  girl  in  all  the  world.  Certainly  he  had 
much  to  be  grateful  for, — and  he  was  grateful 
from  the  bottom  of  his  heart. 

A  few  minutes  of  riding,  after  leaving  the  cen- 
ter of  the  town,  brought  them  within  sight  of  the 
Wadsworth  residence,  a  fine  mansion  set  back 
from  the  roadway,  with  beautiful  trees  and  shrub- 
bery surrounding  it.  Down  at  the  great  gateway 
stood  Professor  Potts,  now  white-haired  and 
somewhat  bent,  but  with  a  kindly  smile  of  wel- 
come on  his  face.  Dave  waved  his  hat  and  the 
old  gentleman  bowed  with  old-fashioned  courtesy. 


96    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Then  the  touring-car  swept  up  to  the  broad  front 
piazza  and  Mrs.  Wadsworth  showed  herself. 

"  Home  again,  are  you,  Dave,"  she  said,  pleas- 
antly. "  I  am  glad  to  see  you."  And  then  she 
allowed  him  to  kiss  her.  There  had  been  a  time 
when  Dave  had  been  somewhat  afraid  of  this 
stately  lady  of  society,  but  that  time  was  past  now, 
and  Mrs.  Wadsworth  looked  on  Dave  almost  as 
a  son, — indeed,  it  had  been  this  affection  for  the 
youth  which  had  caused  the  two  families  to  live 
under  the  same  roof. 

Dave  was  soon  up  in  his  room,  putting  away 
his  things  and  getting  ready  for  dinner,  which 
would  be  served  in  half  an  hour.  He  was  almost 
ready  to  go  below  when  he  saw  Caspar  Potts  pass 
through  the  hallway. 

"Well,  Professor,  how  have  you  been?"  he 
asked,  pleasantly. 

"  Very  well,  David,  very  well,"  was  the  some- 
what slow  reply.  "  It  is  a  very  pleasant  life  here, 
very  pleasant!  "  And  the  eyes  of  the  old  college 
professor  glistened. 

"Got  the  library  in  shape  now,  I  suppose?" 
went  on  Dave,  for  he  knew  that  was  the  old  gen- 
tleman's hobby. 

"  Yes,  David,  we  have  every  book  and  pam- 
phlet catalogued.  And  I  am  adding  something 
new,"  continued  the  professor.  "  I  am  getting  the 
autographs  of  many  of  the  writers  and  pasting 


DAVE  AT  HOME  97 

them  on  the  fly-leaves.  And  where  a  writer  dies 
and  I  get  a  printed  obituary  notice  I  paste  that  in 
the  back  of  the  book.  I  think  it  adds  something 
to  a  volume  to  know  about  the  writer  and  to  have 
his  or  her  autograph." 

"Fine,  Professor!"  cried  Dave,  and  tapped 
him  on  the  shoulder.  "  My,  but  it  is  nice  here! 
Much  better  than  the  old  farm,  eh,  and  the  poor- 
house  that  I  came  from !  " 

The  old  gentleman  nodded  several  times,  and 
the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes. 

"Yes!  yes!  It  is  very,  very  nice.  I  have 
found  real  friends,  and  I  am  thankful,  very  thank- 
ful !  "  And  he  continued  on  his  way  down  the 
hall,  wiping  his  eyes  with  his  handkerchief. 

On  the  stairs  Dave  met  Jessie.  She  was  in  a 
fresh  dress  of  white,  and  had  a  rose  in  her  hair. 

"  How  pretty  you  look!  "  he  whispered,  as  he 
took  her  arm.  "Just  like  a — a  picture!  "  And 
then  Jessie  blushed  and  that  made  her  look 
prettier  than  ever,  if  such  a  thing  were  pos- 
sible. 

Dave's  father  and  Mr.  Wadsworth  had  come 
in,  and  both  were  glad  to  see  the  boy  back.  Soon 
dinner  was  announced,  and  all  sat  down  to  the 
long  table,  Dave  between  his  sister  and  Jessie. 
It  was  old  Professor  Potts  who  asked  grace;  and 
then  some  rapid-fire  conversation  followed,  the 
girls  and  the  others  demanding  to  know  all  about 


98    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

what  had  happened  at  Senator  Morr's  home,  and 
about  the  lost  mine. 

"  It  certainly  sounds  like  a  romance!  "  declared 
Dave's  father,  referring  to  the  lost  mine. 

"  But  I  have  heard  of  such  things  before," 
answered  his  brother.  "  I  know  of  several  valu- 
able mines  in  South  America  that  were  lost 
through  earthquakes.  Landslides  have  not  only 
buried  mines,  they  have  buried  cities  as  well." 

"  Oh,  Dave,  supposing  you  went  to  look  for 
that  mine  and  there  was  another  landslide!" 
gasped  Jessie,  and  turned  pale. 

"  That's  a  risk  we'd  have  to  run,"  was  his 
answer.  "  But  I'd  be  very  careful  as  to  where 
I  went,  Jessie." 

"  I  don't  know  about  this,"  put  in  Mr.  David 
Porter,  with  a  grave  shake  of  his  head.  "  Better 
take  the  trip  through  Yellowstone  Park,  Dave, 
and  let  the  Landslide  Mine  slide,"  and  he  smiled, 
faintly. 

"  Oh,  I  promised  Roger  that  I'd  go  with  him, — 
and  Phil  is  going,  too !  "  pleaded  Dave.  "  We'll 
be  very  careful." 

"  I  might  go  with  you  myself,  only  I  think  I 
ought  to  stay  with  the  party  to  go  through  the 
Park,"  said  Dunston  Porter. 

"  Yes,  we  want  you  with  us !  "  cried  Laura. 

"  I  don't  like  this  at  all!  "  pouted  Jessie,  and 
looked  somewhat  reproachfully  at  Dave. 


DAVE  AT  HOME  99 

"Oh,  you  mustn't  take  it  that  way!"  cried 
the  youth.  "  Why,  we'll  be  with  you  on  the  trip 
to  the  Park,  and  then  we'll  join  you  on  the  tour  a 
little  later.  You  are  to  stay  at  least  four  weeks, 
remember.  Well,  if  we  spent  two  or  even  three 
weeks  looking  for  that  mine  we'd  still  have  a  week 
in  the  Park — and  one  can  go  through  in  six  days, 
so  the,  circular  says." 

After  that  the  talk  became  general,  Dave 
learning  more  concerning  the  tour  and  who  from 
Crumville  and  vicinity  had  signed  to  go,  and  the 
others  asking  for  the  details  concerning  the  mine, 
and  about  the  doings  of  Job  Haskers  and  Link 
Merwell. 

"  You  steer  clear  of  that  rascally  teacher  and 
young  Merwell,"  advised  Dave's  father.  "  They 
are  a  bad  lot." 

"  I'll  steer  clear  if  I  can,"  answered  Dave. 
"  But  if  I  catch  them  in  any  wrongdoing  and  I  can 
manage  it,  I  am  going  to  have  both  of  them 
arrested." 

"  I'd  not  blame  you  for  that." 

After  the  meal  Dave  spent  a  pleasant  evening 
with  Laura  and  Jessie.  The  three  young  folks 
went  out  on  the  porch  and  there,  a  little  later,  Ben 
Basswood  joined  them.  All  talked  about  the  trip 
to  Yellowstone  Park,  and  about  the  Landslide 
Mine. 

"  I'd  like  to  go  after  that  mine  myself,"  said 


ioo    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Ben.  "  But  I  know  I  can't  do  it,  for  I  promised 
mother  and  my  Aunt  Kate  that  I'd  stay  with  them 
all  through  the  trip." 

"  Then  you'll  have  to  stay  with  Laura  and  Jes- 
sie, too,"  returned  Dave.  "  I'll  leave  them  in 
your  care  while  I  am  away." 

"  Oh,  Dave,  as  if  Uncle  Dunston  wasn't  going 
along!  "  cried  his  sister. 

"  Well,  you  can't  have  too  many  protectors,  in 
such  a  wild  portion  of  our  country,"  and  Dave 
laughed,  for  he  knew  as  well  as  did  all  of  them 
that  the  trip  through  Yellowstone  Park  is  a  per- 
fectly safe  one. 

By  and  by  Ben  walked  around  the  garden  with 
Laura,  while  Dave  took  Jessie.  It  was  moonlight 
and  perhaps  some  sentimental  things  were  said. 
Anyway,  when  Dave  and  Jessie  came  back  he  held 
her  arm  and  both  looked  very  contented.  Then 
Ben  had  to  go,  and  Dave  walked  down  to  the 
gateway  with  him  and  spoke  about  Nat  Poole. 

"  Well,  if  he  reforms  he's  a  good  one,"  was  all 
Ben  said.  He  and  Nat  had  been  on  the  outs  for 
a  long  while. 

"  He'll  do  it,"  answered  Dave.  "  At  least,  I 
hope  so." 


CHAPTER  XI 

OVERHEARD  IN  THE  SUMMER-HOUSE 

"  Dave,  what  do  you  think !  I  saw  Link  Mer- 
well  this  morning !  " 

It  was  Laura  who  spoke,  as  she  burst  into  her 
brother's  room,  where  the  youth  was  looking  over 
the  things  he  expected  to  take  with  him  on  his  trip 
West. 

"  You  saw  Link  Merwell !  "  cried  Dave,  drop- 
ping some  collars  he  held  in  his  hand.    "  Where  ?  " 

"  Down  on  Main  Street,  near  the  post-office." 

"  Did  he  speak  to  you?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  the  minute  he  noticed  that  I  saw  him 
he  hurried  out  of  sight  around  the  corner.  I  fol- 
lowed to  the  corner,  but  when  I  got  there  he  had 
gone. 

"  Was  Job  Haskers  with  him?  " 

"  I  didn't  see  him." 

"Humph!  This  is  interesting,  to  say  the 
least,"  mused  Dave.  He  thought  of  what  Nat 
Poole  had  told  him,  and  of  what  Merwell  and 
Haskers  had  attempted  at  the  Morr  homestead. 
"  I'll  have  to  look  into  this,"  he  added,  aloud. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  do  you  think  he'll  try  to  do  some- 


102    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

thing  more  round  here — or  at  the  jewelry 
works?  " 

"  I'll  warn  Mr.  Wadsworth,  Laura,  and  he  can 
notify  the  police.  But  it's  queer  Merwell  should 
show  himself,  knowing  there  is  a  warrant  out  for 
his  arrest.     Weren't  you  mistaken?  " 

"  I  don't  think  so.  Of  course  he  had  on  a 
slouch  hat,  drawn  down  over  his  eyes,  and  an  un- 
usual suit  of  clothing,  but  I  am  pretty  certain  it 
was  Merwell." 

"  Then  Haskers  must  be  here,  too.  They 
travel  together."  Dave  heaved  a  sigh.  "  It's 
too  bad!  I  wish  they  were  in  China,  or  at  the 
North  Pole!" 

It  was  two  days  after  Dave's  arrival  at  Crum- 
ville  and  most  of  the  time  had  been  spent  in  get- 
ting ready  for  the  trip  to  Montana.  Roger  and 
Phil  were  coming  to  the  house  that  afternoon,  and 
Dave  had  received  a  telegram  from  Shadow  Ham- 
ilton that  he  would  accompany  the  tourists  as  far 
as  Yellowstone  Park.  The  other  lads  were  un- 
able to  make  the  necessary  arrangements. 

It  was  lunch  time  and  Dave  lost  no  time  in  go- 
ing to  Mr.  Wadsworth,  who  had  just  come  in 
from  his  jewelry  works.  Both  of  them,  accom- 
panied by  Dave's  father,  went  into  the  library  to 
talk  the  matter  over,  so  that  Jessie  and  her 
mother  might  not  be  disturbed. 

11  I'll  see  the  police  about  this,"  said  Mr.  Wads- 


OVERHEARD  IN  THE  SUMMER-HOUSE    103 

worth,  when  he  had  heard  about  Merwell.  "  If 
possible,  we  must  place  this  young  scamp  where 
that  fellow  Jasniff  is,  behind  the  bars." 

"  I  wish  they  could  arrest  Haskers,  too,"  sighed 
Dave. 

"  I  don't  see  how  we  can — we  have  no  charge 
against  him,"  answered  the  manufacturer. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  when  Roger  and  Phil 
came  in.  As  my  old  readers  know,  the  senator's 
son  and  Dave's  sister  were  on  unusually  good 
terms  with  each  other,  and  the  greeting  between 
them  was  very  cordial. 

"  But  I  don't  like  you  for  one  thing,  Roger," 
said  Laura,  half  reproachfully.  "  I  don't  like 
this  idea  of  Dave  going  off  to  look  for  that  lost 
mine." 

"  Oh,  we  won't  be  away  from  you  long,  Laura." 

"  And  the  danger — not  only  to  Dave  but  to — to 
you,"  went  on  the  girl,  and  gave  him  a  look  that 
meant  much. 

"  We'll  be  careful,"  answered  the  senator's  son. 
"  But  I  hate  awfully  to  worry  you,"  he  added,  in 
a  lower  tone. 

For  Phil,  Laura  had  some  good  news,  which 
was  to  the  effect  that  Belle  Endicott,  the  daughter 
of  the  owner  of  Star  Ranch,  where  the  young  folks 
had  spent  such  an  enjoyable  summer,  had  written 
that  she  would  join  the  party  at  Livingston,  for 
the   trip   through   Yellowstone    Park.     Phil   had 


104    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

always  admired  Belle,  she  was  so  dashing  and  so 
full  of  fun,  and  the  news  was  just  to  his  liking. 

"We'll  have  the  best  times  ever!"  he  cried. 
"  That  is,  after  Dave  and  Roger  and  Shadow  and 
I  get  back  from  locating  that  lost  mine!  " 

"  You  talk  as  if  it  was  going  to  be  the  easiest 
thing  in  the  world  to  locate  the  Landslide  Mine !  " 
laughed  Roger.  "  I  think  it  is  going  to  be  hard 
work — and  we  may  not  get  a  trace  of  it." 

"  Did  you  bring  those  papers  and  that  map?  " 
questioned  Dave. 

"  I  did." 

"  Let  us  go  over  them  now,"  cried  Phil.  But 
this  was  not  to  be,  for  there  were  other  things 
to  attend  to  just  then,  and  the  girls  demanded  a 
good  share  of  the  boys'  attention. 

The  following  morning  found  the  three  youths 
in  a  summer-house  attached  to  the  Wadsworth 
estate.  This  was  located  down  near  a  tiny  brook 
and  was  overgrown  with  vines  and  bushes.  It 
was  a  cozy  retreat,  especially  on  such  a  hot  day  in 
July,  and  the  boys  proceeded  to  make  themselves 
at  home  by  throwing  off  their  coats  and  caps. 

"  Now  let  us  get  down  to  business  on  this  thing," 
said  Dave;  whereupon  the  senator's  son  brought 
forth  his  papers,  and  the  map  of  the  mining  dis- 
trict wherein  the  Landslide  Mine  was  supposed  to 
be  located. 

"  That  lost  mine  is  supposed  to  be  somewhere 


OVERHEARD  IN  THE  SUMMER-HOUSE    105 

along  this  old  trail,"  said  Roger,  pointing  with 
his  finger.  "  This  trail  is  known  as  the  Rodman 
Trail,  because  a  fellow  named  Billy  Rodman  dis- 
covered it.  As  near  as  I  can  make  out,  the  papers 
say  the  mine  was  on  this  Rodman  Trail,  half  a 
mile  north  of  Stony  Cut  and  to  the  west  of  the 
Four  Rocks." 

"  Huh !  That  ought  to  be  dead  easy  to  locate," 
was  Phil's  comment.  "  All  we  have  to  do  is  to 
walk  along  the  trail  half  a  mile  beyond  Stony  Cut 
and  then  to  the  west  of  the  Four  Rocks, — and 
there  you  are." 

"  Exactly,  except  for  two  things,"  replied  Roger. 
"  The  landslide  wiped  out  Stony  Cut  and  the 
Four  Rocks,  too." 

"Oh!" 

"  But  some  one  must  have  some  idea  where 
Stony  Cut  was  located,"  said  Dave. 

"  My  idea  is  to  hunt  up  that  old  miner,  Abe 
Blower,  and  see  if  he  can't  locate  Stony  Cut  for 
us,  even  approximately,  and  tell  us  something 
about  Four  Rocks — how  it  used  to  look  before 
the  great  landslide.  Then,  after  we've  got  that 
information,  we'll  start  on  the  hunt." 

"  Do  you  think  we'll  find  Abe  Blower  in  Butte, 
Montana?"  asked  Phil. 

"  More  than  likely.  He  was  there  some  time 
ago,  mother  heard.  He  and  Uncle  Maurice  used 
to  be  great  chums." 


io6    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"And  are  you  sure  the  mine  is  valuable?" 
queried  Phil,  after  a  pause. 

"  It  must  be,  otherwise  my  uncle  wouldn't  have 
been  so  anxious  about  it." 

Again  the  boys  went  over  the  papers  and 
also  the  map,  talking  the  proposed  trip  over 
from  various  points  of  view.  They  all  agreed 
that  locating  the  lost  mine  would  be  no  easy 
task. 

"  Supposing  somebody  else  locates  it?  "  said 
Phil,  presently.    "  Couldn't  he  lay  claim  to  it?  " 

"  I  don't  know  about  that — I  suppose  so,  since 
the  mine  is  now  completely  lost." 

"  I  hope  you  can  find  this  Abe  Blower  and  get 
him  to  go  with  us,"  said  Dave.  "  An  old  pros- 
pector like  that  ought  to  know  that  territory  well." 

"  Blower  does  know  it — so  they  say." 

"  Did  you  ever  meet  him?  "  questioned  Phil. 

"  No,  I  never  even  heard  of  him  until  Uncle 
Maurice  died  and  left  his  property  to  mother." 

"  Then  you  don't  know  what  kind  of  a  man 
he  is?" 

"  Oh,  he  must  be  pretty  nice,  or  my  uncle 
wouldn't  have  had  him  for  a  friend.  I've  no 
doubt  that  he  is  rough — many  of  that  sort  are — 
but  I  feel  certain " 

Roger  stopped  short,  as  a  strange  crashing  in 
some  bushes  back  of  the  summer-house  reached  his 
ears  and  the  ears  of  the  others. 


OVERHEARD  IN  THE  SUMMER-HOUSE    107 

"What's  that?"  cried  Dave.  "Some  ani- 
mal?" 

"  Hi,  what  are  you  doing  there?  "  came,  in  the 
voice  of  the  Wadsworth  gardener.  "  Come  here, 
I  want  to  talk  to  you!  " 

"Somebody  is  in  those  bushes!"  exclaimed 
Roger,  and  ran  from  the  summer-house,  followed 
by  his  chums. 

They  were  just  in  time  to  find  Joseph,  the  new 
gardener,  running  after  a  young  fellow  who  was 
making  his  way  through  an  apple  orchard  on  the 
other  side  of  the  brook.  Joseph  was  somewhat 
stout  and  not  quick  of  foot,  and  the  young  fellow 
easily  outdistanced  him,  leaped  the  orchard  fence, 
and  hurried  down  the  back  road. 

"  Who  was  it,  Joseph?  "  demanded  Dave,  when 
the  gardener  came  up,  all  out  of  breath. 

"  I — don't — know — sir!  "  gasped  the  man,  puff- 
ing for  breath.  "  He — was — hiding — in  the 
bushes  back  of — the — summer-house." 

"  Hiding  here !  "  cried  Dave.  He  looked  at 
his  chums.  "Can  it  have  been  Merwell?"  he 
murmured. 

"Would  he  dare  come  here?"  asked  Phil. 

"  He  dared  to  come  to  Crumville,  after  he 
knew  there  was  a  warrant  out  for  his  arrest." 

"How  did  that  fellow  look?"  questioned 
Roger. 

"  I    didn't    see    his    face,    sir,"    answered   the 


108    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

gardener,  who  had  now  recovered  somewhat. 
"  He  had  on  a  soft  hat  and  a  brown,  baggy 
suit." 

"  That's  the  way  Merwell  was  togged  out,  so 
Laura  said !  "  cried  Dave.  "  Fellows,  it  must  have 
been  Link !    Now  what  do  you  know  about  that !  " 

"  Do  you  think  he  heard  what  we  said?  "  asked 
Roger,  much  disturbed. 

"  He  must  have,  if  he  was  hiding  in  those 
bushes,"  answered  Phil. 

"  Wonder  how  long  he  was  there?  " 

None  of  the  boys  could  answer  that  question, 
nor  could  the  gardener  enlighten  them.  Joseph 
had  been  coming  along  the  side  of  the  orchard 
when  he  had  espied  the  fellow  and  had  called  to 
him,  thinking  it  was  some  boy  from  Crumville 
who  had  sneaked  up  to  steal  some  of  the  orchard 
fruit.  He  had  been  surprised  when  the  fellow 
dashed  away  so  quickly. 

"  Maybe  he  wasn't  alone,"  suggested  Roger. 
"  Let  us  take  a  look  around." 

This  was  done,  but  nobody  else  seemed  to  be 
near.  Much  disturbed,  the  three  lads  walked  all 
over  the  place,  and  even  down  the  back  road  in 
the  direction  the  intruder  had  fled. 

"  If  it  was  Merwell  he  must  have  heard  all 
that  was  said,"  remarked  the  senator's  son, 
gravely. 

"  If   he    did,    it    won't    do    him    any    good," 


OVERHEARD  IN  THE  SUMMER-HOUSE    109 

answered  Phil.  "  I  don't  think  he'll  hunt  for  that 
mine." 

"  He  may  follow  us  and  try  to  make  trouble," 
returned  Dave.  "  He  is  very  bitter — and  so  is 
Job  Haskers.  They'd  put  themselves  out  a  whole 
lot  to  give  us  a  black  eye,  so  to  speak." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that." 

Much  disturbed,  the  three  youths  returned  to 
the  house,  where  Roger  put  his  map  and  papers  in 
a  safe  place  in  his  trunk — the  one  he  was  to  take 
on  the  trip  West.  In  the  meantime  Dave  tele- 
phoned to  the  police,  telling  them  that  Merwell 
had  been  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Wadsworth 
mansion.  He  was  glad  of  the  fact  that  Mrs. 
Wadsworth  and  the  girls  had  gone  out  to  do  some 
shopping,  for  he  did  not  wish  to  alarm  them 
further. 

In  the  meantime,  down  the  hot  and  dusty  road 
in  the  rear  of  the  orchard  ran  the  young  fellow 
who  had  leaped  the  fence.  It  was  indeed  Link 
Merwell,  sour-faced,  and  with  that  same  cunning 
look  as  of  old  in  his  eyes. 

He  kept  on  for  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  then 
suddenly  plunged  into  a  strip  of  woodland. 
There,  beside  a  large  stream  of  water,  were  the 
ruins  of  an  old  stone  house. 

Link  Merwell  stopped  running  and  after  a 
stealthy  look  around,  emitted  a  clear,  short 
whistle.    This  he  repeated  twice. 


no    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

From  behind  the  ruins  of  the  stone  house  a 
man  appeared,  with  a  soft  hat  drawn  well  down 
over  his  forehead.     The  man  was  Job  Haskers. 

"  Back  again,  eh?  "  snapped  the  former  teacher 
of  Oak  Hall.  "  Did  you  do  it?  "  he  questioned, 
curiously. 

"  No,  I  didn't  get  the  chance,"  answered  Link 
Merwell.  He  sank  on  a  log  and  fanned  himself 
with  his  hat. 

"  Humph !  Better  let  it  go  then.  If  they  see 
you,  they'll  be  after  you." 

"  They  are  after  me,  Haskers." 

"They  are!  Then  let  us  get  out  at  once!" 
And  the  former  teacher  plainly  showed  his  ner- 
vousness. 

"  I'm  willing,"  returned  Link  Merwell.  "  I've 
changed  my  mind  about  doing  something  here," 
he  went  on.  "  We  can  do  something  somewhere 
else — something  that  will  pay  us  both  big." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  We  can  go  after  a  fortune  that  is  coming  to 
Roger  Morr's  mother.  It's  the  Landslide  Mine, 
and  it's  lost.  Haskers,  if  we  can  locate  that  mine, 
our  fortunes  are  made  !  Come  on,  and  I'll  tell  you 
all  about  it  while  we  are  getting  away  from  this 
place.  We  must  go  West  just  as  fast  as  we  can 
make  it !  " 


CHAPTER  XII 


ON  THE  WAY  WEST 


"Off  at  last!" 

"Hurrah  for  the  West!" 

"  And  the  Landslide  Mine,  Roger,  don't  forget 
that!" 

"  What  a  splendid  day  for  beginning  the  trip !  " 

"  Say,  we  make  quite  a  crowd,  don't  we?  " 

"  Wonder  if  the  train  will  be  on  time,  Dave?  " 

"  I  suppose  so.  Special  excursions  are  supposed 
to  start  on  time.  Is  everybody  here,  and  have 
we  all  our  baggage?  " 

"  I've  got  all  of  mine,"  returned  Laura. 
"  How  about  you,  Jessie?  " 

"  I've  got  my  hand-bag.  The  trunk  went  with 
the  other  trunks." 

"  Say,  seeing  this  crowd,  puts  me  in  mind  of  a 
story,"  burst  out  Shadow  Hamilton.  "  Once 
some  tourists " 

"  Oh,  Shadow !  "  came  from  several  in  concert. 

"  Better  keep  the  story  until  after  we  are  on 
the  way,"  cried  Dave,  gayly.  "  We'll  have  plenty 
of  time  on  the  train.  It's  a  four-days'  trip  to 
Yellowstone  Park,  remember." 


ii2    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Here  comes  the  train!  "  was  the  cry. 

The  scene  was  the  Crumville  station.  The  little 
platform  was  crowded  with  the  folks  who  were 
going  on  the  personally-conducted  tour  to  that 
place  of  many  wonders,  Yellowstone  Park.  Mr. 
Basswood  was  on  hand,  wearing  a  blue  and  gold 
badge,  and  so  was  one  of  the  local  ministers,  and 
these  two  had  charge  of  the  tour,  these  and  a 
railroad  official  who  had  to  look  after  connec- 
tions and  meals.  In  the  crowd  were  the  boys  and 
girls,  and  also  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  Mr.  Dunston 
Porter,  and  about  forty  others  from  Crumville 
and  vicinity.  The  tour  was  being  run  at  a  very 
reasonable  rate,  considering  the  accommodations 
afforded,  and  many  were  taking  advantage  of  this 
fact  to  see  Yellowstone  Park,  with  its  wonderful 
geysers,  its  curious  boiling  "  paint  pots,"  and  its 
bears  and  buffaloes.  The  minister  had  once  given 
a  lecture  on  the  Park  and  this  had  stimulated 
curiosity  to  go  and  see  this  land  of  such  natural 
wonders.  It  is  a  great  national  reservation  that 
every  American  ought  to  be  glad  to  visit. 

As  the  train  rolled  into  the  station  the  crowd 
got  aboard  and  the  porters  showed  the  tourists 
to  their  seats.  All  of  the  "  Porter  tribe,"  as  Phil 
dubbed  them,  were  together.  Mrs.  Wadsworth 
and  another  lady  had  a  stateroom,  and  next  to 
this  Laura  and  Jessie  had  a  section,  with  Dave 
and  Roger  opposite.    Then  came  the  other  boys, 


ON  THE  WAY  WEST  113 

and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Basswood  and  Dunston  Porter. 
The  Crumville  contingent  filled  two  cars,  and 
there  were  three  more  cars  from  neighboring 
towns.  To  the  front  were  a  baggage  and  a  dining- 
car  and  to  the  rear  an  observation  car. 

"  All  aboard !  "  was  the  cry. 

"Good-by!" 

"  Don't  forget  to  write!  " 

"  Here,  Tom,  don't  forget  your  valise  I  " 

11  Be  sure  to  look  for  Brother  Jack  in 
Chicago !  " 

"  Be  sure  to  get  some  good  pictures !  " 

"  Don't  forget  some  souvenirs !  " 

Then  came  more  cries,  and  the  waving  of  nu- 
merous handkerchiefs;  and  off  rolled  the  excursion 
train,  on  its  long  western  trip,  Dave  waving 
his  cap  to  his  father  and  Mr.  Wadsworth,  who 
had  come  down  to  the  depot  to  see  the  party 
off. 

It  took  some  little  time  to  settle  down  on  the 
train.  They  had  left  Crumville  at  half-past  ten 
and  almost  before  the  young  folks  knew  it,  it  was 
time  for  lunch.  Quite  naturally  Dave  escorted 
Jessie  to  the  dining-car,  while  Roger  took  Laura, 
and  Mr.  Dunston  Porter  looked  after  Mrs. 
Wadsworth. 

"  I  hope  the  good  weather  continues,"  said 
Jessie,  as  she  sat  down  with  Dave.  "  It  will  add 
so  much  to  the  trip." 


ii4    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Oh,  I've  ordered  nothing  but  the  best  of 
weather,"  he  replied,  with  a  smile. 

"  Tell  me,  Dave,"  she  whispered,  "  did  you 
hear  anything  more  about  that  Link  Merwell?" 

"  Not  a  word,  Jessie." 

"  You  are  sure  it  was  he  who  was  behind  the 
summer-house  that  day?  " 

"  Fairly  sure.  Of  course,  we  might  have  been 
mistaken.  But  we  know  he  was  in  Crumville — 
Laura  was  sure  of  that — and  it  would  be  just  like 
him  to  sneak  up  to  our  place  to  see  what  he  could 
do  to  annoy  or  injure  us." 

"  Oh,  if  only  they  would  leave  you  alone, 
Dave!  "  and  the  girl  sighed  deeply. 

"  Don't  you  worry,  Jessie;  I  can  take  care  of 
myself." 

The  lunch  was  a  delightful  one,  and  with  so 
little  to  do,  the  young  folks  took  their  time  over 
the  repast.  Then  they  drifted  back  to  the  obser- 
vation car,  and  the  boys  saw  to  it  that  the  girls  and 
the  ladies  got  good  seats,  where  they  might  see  all 
that  they  passed. 

The  afternoon  found  them  rolling  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Buffalo,  which  they  were  to  reach  before 
it  was  time  to  retire  for  the  night.  Then  the 
train  would  pass  through  Cleveland  while  they 
slept,  on  its  way  to  Chicago. 

"  I'll  be  glad  to  get  a  look  at  Chicago,"  said 
Ben  Basswood,  who  had  not  done  much  traveling. 


ON  THE  WAY  WEST  115 

"  We  are  to  take  a  tour  in  a  rubber-neck  wagon," 
he  added. 

"A  rubber-neck  wagon!"  cried  his  mother. 
"  Benjamin,  what  language!  " 

"  Well,  that  is  what  they  usually  call  the  touring 
automobiles,"  he  answered,  with  a  grin. 

To  some  of  the  folks  on  the  trip,  going  to  bed 
on  a  train  was  much  of  a  novelty,  and  they 
watched  with  interest  while  the  porters  made  up 
the  berths. 

"  Do  you  remember  the  time  we  had  Billy  Dill 
along,  and  what  he  thought  of  sleeping  on  a 
train?  "  remarked  Dave,  to  Phil  and  Roger. 

"  I  sure  do,"  answered  the  shipowner's  son, 
with  a  chuckle.  "  When  he  saw  the  seats  con- 
verted into  beds  he  wanted  to  know  if  they  didn't 
have  a  ballroom  aboard,  or  a  church,  or  a  farm," 
and  at  the  recollection  of  the  old  tar's  questions 
all  in  the  party  had  to  laugh. 

"  Where  is  this  Billy  Dill  now?  "  asked  Shadow. 

"  Safe  in  an  old  sailors'  home,"  answered 
Dave.  "  He  took  a  trip  or  two  to  sea,  but 
he  couldn't  stand  it,  so  we  had  him  put  in  the 
home." 

"  You've  got  him  to  thank  for  a  good  deal, 
Dave,"  remarked  the  senator's  son,  in  low  tones. 

"Yes,  and  I'll  never  forget  Billy  Dill," 
answered  our  hero,  as  he  remembered  how  the 
old  tar  had  helped  him  to  find  his  Uncle  Dunston, 


u6    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

as  related  in  detail  in  "  Dave  Porter  in  the  South 
Seas." 

Mr.  Dunston  Porter  had  found  some  congenial 
spirits  in  the  smoking-compartment  of  the  car  and 
spent  a  good  deal  of  his  time  there.  He  met  a 
man  who  had  done  considerable  hunting  in  the 
West,  and  the  two  "  swapped  yarns,"  as  Mr. 
Porter  said  afterwards. 

Only  a  short  stop  was  made  at  Buffalo,  just 
long  enough  to  allow  the  boys  and  some  of  the 
men  to  stretch  their  legs  on  the  depot  plat- 
form, and  then  the  excursion  train  started  on 
its  trip  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie  towards 
the  great  Windy  City,  as  Chicago  is  sometimes 
called. 

Morning  found  the  party  well  on  the  way  to 
Chicago,  and  that  metropolis  of  the  Great  Lakes 
was  reached  about  noon.  Lunch  had  already  been 
served,  and  at  the  depot  all  hands  found  a  string 
of  touring  automobiles  awaiting  them,  to  take 
them  around  to  various  points  of  interest,  includ- 
ing the  business  section,  the  finer  residential  dis- 
trict, and  Lincoln  Park,  with  its  Zoological 
Garden.  Some  of  the  party  went  in  a  different 
direction,  to  visit  the  Stock  Yards,  that  great 
place  where  hundreds  of  cattle  are  slaughtered 
daily. 

"By  the  great  tin  dipper!"  cried  Phil,  sud- 
denly, when  waiting  for  the  automobile  in  which 


ON  THE  WAY  WEST  117 

he  and  some  others  sat  to  start  off.  "  Look  who's 
here!" 

"Jim  Murphy!  "  cried  Dave  and  Roger,  in  a 
breath. 

"  So  it  is !  "  came  from  Shadow.  "  Hi,  Jim !  " 
he  called  out.    "  Don't  you  know  us  any  more?  " 

The  young  man  they  addressed,  a  tall  fellow  of 
Irish  parentage,  who  stood  on  the  sidewalk,  turned 
swiftly.  Then  his  face  broke  into  a  grin,  and  he 
rushed  forward. 

"  Sure,  an'  what  do  you  think  of  this  now!  " 
he  exclaimed.  "  Dave  Porter,  an'  Phil  Lawrence, 
an'  Roger  Morr,  and  Shadow  Hamilton,  an',  sure 
enough,  Ben  Basswood!  Say,  what  is  this,  a  tour 
o'  Oak  Hall  boys!  "  and  the  former  monitor  of 
that  institution  of  learning  smiled  more  broadly 
than  ever. 

"  We  are  on  an  excursion,"  explained  Dave, 
and  gave  some  details.  "  What  are  you  doing  in 
Chicago,  Jim?  "  he  went  on. 

"  Sure  I  got  a  job  here,  after  I  left  Oak  Hall." 

"  What  are  you  doing?  "  questioned  Roger. 

"  I'm  one  of  the  gatemen  in  the  train  shed.  But 
I  expect  to  get  a  better  job  than  that  in  a  week 
or  two — it's  promised  to  me,"  added  the  former 
monitor.  "  An',  by  the  way,  lots  of  Oak  Hall 
boys  passing  through  Chicago  now,"  he  continued. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  Phil,  quickly. 
"  Whom  did  you  see?  " 


n8    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Saw  Teddy  Fells  about  a  week  ago,  and  two 
days  ago  I  saw  Link  Merwell." 

"  Merwell !  "  came  from  several  of  the  youths. 

"  Was  he  alone?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"  No,  he  had  Mr.  Haskers  with  him.  Haskers 
lost  his  job  at  the  Hall,  didn't  he?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  thought  so,  for  the  minute  he  and  Merwell 
spotted  me  they  got  out  of  sight  in  a  hurry." 

"  Where  were  they  going?  "  asked  Phil. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  They  got  off  the 
Eastern  Express,  and  left  the  depot  in  a  hurry. 
They  acted  as  if  they  didn't  want  anybody  to 
notice  'em." 

"All  ready!"  came  the  cry  of  the  man  in 
charge  of  the  touring  automobiles,  and  then  one 
after  another  the  turnouts  rolled  away  from  the 
depot. 

"  Shall  we  stay  here  and  look  into  this?  "  asked 
Dave,  of  Roger  and  Phil. 

"What's  the  use?"  returned  the  shipowner's 
son.  "  It  isn't  likely  they  are  here  now."  And 
then  the  boys  waved  a  good-by  to  big  Jim 
Murphy,  and  the  automobile  passed  out  of  the 
former  monitor's  sight. 

Laura  and  Jessie  had  heard  what  was  said  and 
they  were  as  much  disturbed  as  the  boys  them- 
selves, if  not  more  so. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  do  you  think  Haskers  and  Mer- 


ON  THE  WAY  WEST  119 

well  are  following  you?"  asked  his  sister,  anx- 
iously. 

"  They  can't  be  following  us  if  they  are  ahead 
of  us,"  he  replied,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  Well,  you  know  what  I  mean." 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think,  Laura.  Merwell 
may  be  going  West  to  join  his  folks.  They  are 
somewhere  out  there." 

"  But  Haskers " 

"  He  may  be  sticking  to  Link  because  Link  has 
money — he  gets  it  from  his  parents,  who  don't 
want  to  see  him  caught  and  sent  to  prison,  as  was 
the  case  with  Jasniff.  I  think  Job  Haskers  was 
always  a  good  sponge  when  it  came  to  getting 
something  out  of  other  people." 

"  Maybe  you  are  right.  Oh,  I  hope  we  don't 
meet  them  on  this  trip !  "  And  Laura  shuddered; 
she  could  not  exactly  tell  why. 

The  touring  trip  took  the  Crumville  folks  first 
to  the  business  section  of  Chicago,  and  the  man 
in  front,  with  a  megaphone,  bawled  out  the  va- 
rious points  of  interest.  Then  the  touring-cars, 
in  a  sort  of  procession,  moved  to  a  residential 
section,  fronting  Lake  Michigan,  with  its  palatial 
homes. 

"  Just  as  fine  as  Riverside  Drive,  New  York," 
was  Dave's  comment. 

"  Every  large  city  in  the  United  States  has  its 
beautiful  section,"  remarked  Dunston  Porter. 


120    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

They  were  soon  in  Lincoln  Park,  and  here  a 
stop  was  made  to  look  at  the  animals  in  the  Zoo. 
The  young  people  had  a  good  deal  of  fun  with 
the  monkeys,  and  with  a  couple  of  bears  that  stood 
up  to  box  each  other. 

Five  o'clock  found  the  party  back  to  the  depot, 
ready  to  board  the  train  once  more.  As  they 
stood  near  the  car  steps  talking,  a  porter  of  the 
car  touched  Roger  on  the  arm. 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Morr,"  he  said,  "  but  did  you 
send  a  man  here  for  your  suit-case?  " 

"  I  certainly  did  not!  "  cried  the  senator's  son. 

"  You  didn't!  "  gasped  the  colored  porter,  and 
at  once  showed  his  excitement.  "  Well,  one  came 
here,  with  a  written  order  for  your  suit-case,  and 
I  done  gave  it  to  him !  " 


CHAPTER  XIII 


DAVE  SEES  SOMETHING 


"  You  gave  somebody  my  suit-case !  "  cried  the 
senator's  son,  while  a  number  of  tourists  gathered 
around,  to  learn  what  was  going  on. 

"Yes,  sah!"  returned  the  colored  porter  of 
the  car.  Plainly  he  was  much  distressed.  "  He 
had  an  order,  sah,"  he  added,  and  fumbled  in  one 
pocket  after  another,  at  last  bringing  out  a 
crumbled  bit  of  writing  paper.    "  Here  it  is,  sah  !  " 

Roger  took  the  slip  and  read  it,  with  Dave  and 
Phil  looking  over  his  shoulders.  The  sheet  read 
as  follows : 

"Porter,  Car  Medora:  Deliver  to  bearer  my 
suit-case.    Roger  A.  Morr.  " 

"  This  is  a  forgery — I  never  wrote  itl  "  cried 
the  senator's  son.     "  It's  some  swindler's  trick!  " 

"  I — I  didn't  know  you  didn't  write  it,"  faltered 
the  porter.  "  I  axed  the  man  where  you  was  and 
he  said  you  was  visitin'  his  house  and  wanted  to 
show  him  something  you  had  in  the  case." 

"  Do   you    know    what    I    think? "  exclaimed 

121 


122    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Dave.  "  I  think  this  is  the  work  of  Link  Mer- 
well !  " 

11  Yes,  and  Job  Haskers,"  added  Phil.  "  They 
are  working  together." 

"  But  why  did  they  steal  my  suit-case?  "  asked 

Roger.      "  Do   you   suppose "     He   stopped 

short,  for  strangers  were  about.  He  was  on  the 
point  of  mentioning  the  map  and  instructions  he 
carried  for  locating  the  Landslide  Mine.  Dave 
and  Phil,  as  well  as  Ben  and  Shadow,  understood. 

"  Did  you  have  anything  in  the  case  outside 
of  your  clothing? "  whispered  the  shipowner's 
son. 

"  Only  a  few  things  of  no  importance," 
answered  Roger.  He  tapped  his  breast  pocket. 
"  Those  papers  are  here,  and  my  money  is  here, 
too." 

"Good!"  murmured  Dave.  "Then  Merwell 
and  Haskers  will  be  sold — outside  of  getting  your 
clothing." 

The  porter  was  closely  questioned,  but  could 
give  no  very  good  description  of  the  man  who  had 
presented  the  order  for  the  suit-case. 

"  I  was  busy — waitin'  on  an  old  lady  wot  was 
sick,"  he  explained.  "  I  jess  read  that  order  and 
got  the  suit-case,  and  he  went  off  in  a  hurry.  I'm 
mighty  sorry  I  let  him  have  the  bag.  But  he  had 
the  order,  all  signed,"  and  the  porter  rolled  his 
eyes  mournfully.  - 


DAVE  SEES  SOMETHING  123 

"  I  can't  say  that  I  blame  you,"  answered 
Roger.     "  But  after  this " 

"  I  won't  give  away  nuffin  to  nobody,"  cried  the 
porter,  quickly. 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  several  minutes, 
and  then  it  was  time  for  the  train  to  leave  Chicago. 
The  paper  looked  as  if  it  might  be  in  Link  Mer- 
well's  handwriting  and  the  boys  concluded  that 
he  was  the  guilty  party.  Probably  he  had  come 
to  the  train,  knowing  our  friends  were  away  on 
the  sight-seeing  tour,  and  possibly  he  had  been 
disguised,  maybe  with  a  false  mustache,  or  wig, 
or  both.  The  porter  was  almost  certain  the  man 
had  worn  a  heavy  black  mustache. 

"  Well,  all  I  lost  was  one  suit  of  clothes,  some 
shirts  and  collars,  a  few  neckties  and  some  under- 
clothes, and  a  comb  and  brush,  and  toothbrush," 
remarked  Roger,  when  the  train  was  once  more  on 
its  way.    "  It's  a  total  loss  of  about  sixty  dollars." 

"  Maybe  you  can  make  the  railroad  pay  it," 
suggested  Shadow. 

"  Perhaps.  But  I  am  thankful  that  those 
rascals  didn't  get  what  they  were  after.  They 
must  have  thought  I  carried  those  papers  in  the 
suit-case."  Such  was  indeed  the  truth,  and  it  was 
Merwell  who  had  forged  Roger's  signature  and 
gotten  the  traveling  bag.  It  may  be  added  here 
that,  later  on,  the  railroad  company  offered  to  pay 
for  the  loss  of  the  suit-case  and  its  contents,  doing 


124    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

this  very  promptly  when  it  was  learned  that  the 
loser  was  the  son  of  a  United  States  senator. 

On  and  on  rolled  the  excursion  train,  and  after 
the  excitement  attending  the  loss  of  the  suit-case 
was  over,  the  boys  and  girls  settled  down  to  enjoy 
themselves.  Dave  and  the  other  lads  loaned 
Roger  such  things  as  he  needed,  until  he  could  get 
at  his  trunk  in  the  baggage-car. 

The  next  morning  found  the  train  in  St.  Paul, 
and  there  the  tourists  spent  a  day,  riding  around 
the  city  and  visiting  Minneapolis,  which  is  but  a 
short  distance  away.  By  nightfall  they  were  on 
board  once  more  and  bound  for  Livingston,  a 
small  place,  where  a  branch-line  runs  a  distance  of 
about  fifty  miles  southward  to  Gardiner,  the 
northern  entrance  to  Yellowstone  Park.  At  Liv- 
ingston, Dave  and  his  chums  were  to  separate 
from  the  others  and  keep  on  westward  to  Butte, 
where  they  hoped  to  fall  in  with  Abe  Blower,  the 
old  miner  and  prospector. 

"  Oh,  Dave,  it  won't  be  long  now  before  we 
separate!"  said  Jessie  with  a  sigh.  It  was  the 
second  day  of  the  trip  after  leaving  St.  Paul,  and 
the  two  were  by  themselves  on  the  observation 
end  of  the  train. 

11  Well,  I  don't  think  it  will  be  for  long,"  he 
said,  as  cheerfully  as  possible.  "  We'll  soon  join 
you  in  the  Park." 

"  I — I  wouldn't  mind  it  so  much  if  it  was  not 


DAVE  SEES  SOMETHING  125 

for  that  Link  Merwell — and  that  old  Haskers !  " 
continued  the  girl.  "  Oh,  Dave,  you  must  be 
careful!  "  and  she  caught  him  by  the  arm. 

"  I'm  going  to  keep  my  eyes  open  for  them," 
Dave  answered,  and,  as  nobody  was  looking,  he 
caught  her  hand  and  gave  it  a  tight  squeeze. 
"Will  you  miss  me,  Jessie,  while  I  am  gone?" 
he  continued,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Terribly!  "  she  whispered. 

"  I'll  miss  you,  too.  But  it  sha'n't  be  for  long 
that  I'll  be  away — I  promise  you  that." 

"  Oh,  you  must  find  the  mine  if  you  can,  Dave. 
I  rather  think  the  Morrs  are  depending  on  it. 
Laura  said  Roger  looked  very  much  worried  when 
he  got  that  letter  in  St.  Paul." 

"  Yes,  matters  are  not  going  well  with  the  sen- 
ator's affairs — I  know  that,  Jessie.  If  he  gets  out 
of  politics  he'll  have  to  do  something  else.  Find- 
ing this  lost  gold  mine  would  be  a  big  lift  for  the 
whole  family." 

Then  Laura  came  out,  in  company  with  Roger, 
and  soon  the  others  followed.  It  was  a  perfect 
day,  as  clear  as  could  be,  and  off  in  the  distance 
could  be  seen  the  mountains. 

"  Going  to  shoot  any  bears  out  there  in  the 
Park?"  asked  Shadow,  of  Dunston  Porter,  with 
a  grin. 

"  Hardly,  Shadow,  since  outsiders  are  not  al- 
lowed to  carry  firearms,"  replied  Dave's  uncle. 


126    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Only  the  United  States  soldiers  are  armed  in 
the  Park." 

"  Somebody  told  me  the  bears  were  tame 
enough  to  eat  out  of  your  hand,"  said  Phil. 

"  Maybe  they  are,  but  I  shouldn't  advise  any- 
body to  feed  them  that  way,"  answered  Mr. 
Porter.  "  A  bear  isn't  naturally  a  sociable  crea- 
ture." 

It  had  been  decided  that  Dunston  Porter  should 
go  into  the  Park  with  the  ladies  and  the  girls,  let- 
ting the  boys  shift  for  themselves  in  the  search 
for  Abe  Blower  and  the  lost  Landslide  Mine. 
An  hour  before  the  time  for  parting  came 
Dunston  Porter  called  Dave,  Roger,  and  Phil 
to  him,  in  a  car  that  was  practically  vacated  at 
the  time. 

"  Now,  I  want  to  caution  all  of  you  to  be  care- 
ful," said  the  old  hunter  and  traveler.  "  This 
isn't  the  East,  remember.  It's  the  West,  and  in 
some  places  it  is  as  wild  and  woolly  as  can  be. 
But  I  don't  think  you'll  have  any  trouble  if  you 
mind  your  own  business  and  keep  your  eyes  open. 
Don't  rely  too  much  on  strangers,  and  I  think  it 
will  be  wise  for  all  of  you  to  keep  together  as 
much  as  possible.  Don't  show  any  more  cash  than 
you  have  to.  And  remember,  you  can  always 
reach  us  in  the  Park,  by  telegraph  or  long-distance 
telephone." 

"  We'll   try  to  take  care   of  ourselves,"  said 


DAVE  SEES  SOMETHING  127 

Dave;  and  then  his  uncle  continued  to  give  the 
youths  advice,  on  one  subject  or  another,  until 
it  was  time  to  get  ready  to  leave  the  train. 

"  Livingston!  "  was  the  cry  presently,  and  the 
excursion  train  rolled  into  the  long  depot.  It  was 
to  stop  there  for  fifteen  minutes  and  then  proceed 
to  Gardiner. 

"  There  is  Belle!  "  cried  Laura. 

"  I  see  her!  "  put  in  Phil,  and  was  the  first  to 
reach  the  platform  and  shake  the  girl  from  Star 
Ranch  by  the  hand.  Belle  Endicott  looked  the 
picture  of  health,  and  was  glad  to  greet  them  all. 

"  Sorry  we  can't  visit  awhile,"  said  Roger. 

"  We'll  do  that  after  we  come  back,"  added 
Phil. 

"Well,  good-by  everybody!"  cried  Dave, 
shaking  hands  with  many,  an  example  followed  by 
those  who  were  to  go  with  him. 

"  Wish  I  was  going  on  that  hunt  for  the  mine 
with  you,"  said  Ben,  who  had  to  remain  with  his 
folks. 

"  So  do  I,"  added  Shadow,  who  was  to  stay 
with  Ben. 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  rely  on  you  to  look  after 
the  girls,"  answered  Dave. 

"  Oh,  we  can  do  that,"  said  Ben,  with  a  grin. 

"  Say,  that  puts  me  in  mind  of  a  story,"  cried 
Shadow.  "  No  reflection  on  the  girls  here,"  he 
added,  hastily.    "  Once  on  a  time  a  young  minister 


128    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

paid  a  visit  to  some  relatives  in  the  country.  He 
got  a  letter  stating  they'd  be  glad  to  have  him 
come  and  would  he  attend  a  picnic  in  the  woods 
and  help  to  take  care  of  four  girls.  He  wrote 
back  that  he  would  be  delighted.  When  he  ar- 
rived and  started  for  the  picnic  he  found  the  four 
girls  waiting  for  him — four  old  maids  from  thirty 
to  forty  years  of  age!  "  And  at  this  joke  a  smile 
went  around,  in  which  the  girls  joined. 

Soon  the  last  of  the  good-bys  had  been  said. 
The  girls  were  on  the  observation  end  of  the  last 
car,  and  as  the  train  rolled  onward  towards  Yel- 
lowstone Park  they  waved  their  handkerchiefs 
and  the  boys  on  the  platform  swung  their  caps. 
Then  the  train  slowly  disappeared  from  view. 

"  Well,  here  we  are,"  said  Phil,  with  something 
like  a  sigh. 

"  We've  got  an  hour  to  wait  before  that  train 
comes  along  for  Butte,"  said  Roger,  consulting 
his  watch. 

"  How  far  is  Butte?  "  went  on  the  shipowner's 
son. 

11  About  a  hundred  miles,  as  the  crow  flies," 
answered  Dave.  "  But  I  guess  it  is  longer  by  the 
railroad,  and  we'll  have  some  climbing  to  do — 
to  get  into  the  Rockies." 

"  Say,  supposing  we  ask  the  men  around  here 
if  they  saw  anything  of  Merwell  and  Haskers?  " 
suggested  the  senator's  son. 


They  waved  their  handkerchiefs,  and  the  boys  on  the 

PLATFORM   SWUNG  THEIR  CAPS. — Page  128. 


DAVE  SEES  SOMETHING  129 

"  It  won't  do  any  harm,"  answered  Dave. 

Inquiries  were  made  of  the  baggage-master,  a 
ticket-seller,  and  half  a  dozen  other  men  around 
the  depot.  But  none  of  them  remembered  having 
seen  the  pair  mentioned. 

"  They  probably  kept  out  of  sight,"  was  Dave's 
comment.  "  They  would  be  afraid  we  were  on 
their  trail,  or  that  we  had  telegraphed  ahead  about 
them." 

From  the  station-master  they  learned  that  their 
train  was  two  hours  behind  time,  and  would  not 
reach  Butte  until  late  that  night.  This  being  so, 
they  left  their  baggage  on  check  at  the  depot  and 
took  a  stroll  around,  looking  at  the  sights.  Then 
they  found  a  small  restaurant  and  got  what  they 
called  supper,  although  it  was  not  a  very  good 
meal. 

When  the  train  came  along  it  proved  to  be 
crowded,  for  there  had  been  a  sale  of  public  and 
private  lands  not  far  away  and  many  of  the  disap- 
pointed would-be  buyers  were  on  board. 

"  We  can't  take  any  through  passengers,"  said 
the  conductor,  and  waved  the  boys  back. 

"  We  only  want  to  go  to  Butte,"  answered 
Roger. 

"  Oh,  all  right  then.  Take  the  forward  car, 
next  to  the  baggage-car.  But  I  don't  think  you'll 
find  any  seats.  We  are  swamped  because  of  the 
land  sale." 


130    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

The  boys  ran  forward,  after  making  sure  that 
their  baggage  was  tumbled  into  a  baggage-car.  As 
the  conductor  had  said,  the  cars  were  over- 
crowded, and  they  had  to  stand  up  in  the  aisle.  A 
number  of  the  men  were  smoking  and  they  con- 
tinued to  do  so,  even  though  it  was  against  the 
rules. 

"  Pretty  rough-looking  crowd,"  whispered  Phil, 
after  the  train  had  started. 

"  Not  all  bad,"  was  Dave's  comment.  "  But 
some  of  them  are  certainly  the  limit,"  and  he 
nodded  towards  one  crowd  that  were  talking 
loudly  and  using  language  that  was  anything  but 
choice.  In  this  crowd  one  fellow  in  particular,  a 
tall,  thin,  leathery  individual,  called  by  the  others 
Sol  Blugg,  seemed  to  be  a  leading  spirit. 

About  half  an  hour  had  passed,  and  the  con- 
ductor had  just  gone  through  collecting  tickets, 
when  the  man  called  Blugg  pushed  up  alongside 
another  man  who  sat  on  the  arm  of  a  rear  seat. 

"  Say,  do  you  know  what  Staver  jest  told  me?  " 
he  exclaimed. 

"No,  what?"  demanded  the  other  man. 

"  He  says  as  how  he  is  almost  sure  Abe  Blower 
put  this  crimp  in  our  land  deal,"  responded  the 
man  called  Blugg. 

"Abe  Blower!"  exclaimed  the  other.  "Say, 
maybe  thet's  right.  Blower  ain't  got  no  use  fer 
our  crowd.    Well,  if  he  did  it,  he  better  look  out !  " 


CHAPTER  XIV 


IN   BUTTE 


Dave  overheard  the  conversation  between  the 
two  rough-looking  men  in  the  crowded  car,  and  so 
did  Phil  and  Roger.  All  glanced  at  each  other 
suggestively. 

"  Do  you  think  they  are  talking  about  the  Abe 
Blower  we  want  to  find?  "  asked  Roger  of  Dave, 
in  a  whisper. 

"  More  than  likely,  Roger,"  was  the  answer. 
"  It  is  not  likely  that  there  are  two  Abe  Blowers 
in  this  part  of  the  country.  It's  not  a  common 
name,  like  Smith." 

"  Listen,"  whispered  Phil,  for  the  two  men 
had  begun  to  talk  again. 

"  I  lost  a  lot  of  money  by  havin'  thet  land  deal 
fall  through,"  growled  the  fellow  called  Blugg. 

"  So  did  I,"  responded  the  man  on  the  arm  of 
the  car  seat.     "  We  all  did." 

"  If  Abe  Blower  knows  we  are  on  his  trail  he'll 
keep  out  o'  sight." 

"Maybe;  although  Blower  wa'n't  never  the 
fellow  to  take  backwater,"  responded  the  other, 
doubtfully. 

131 


132    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"We'll  git  him  yet;  see  if  we  don't,"  was  the 
savage  response.  And  then  followed  some  con- 
versation in  such  a  low  tone  that  the  boys  could 
not  hear  what  was  said. 

But  it  was  easy  to  surmise  one  thing,  which  was 
that  these  men  hated  Abe  Blower  most  cordially. 
And  because  of  this,  and  because  they  had  heard 
that  Blower  was  a  strictly  upright,  honest  man, 
the  chums  concluded  that  these  fellows  in  the  car 
had  been  trying  in  some  manner  to  put  through 
some  land  deal  that  was  not  strictly  fair,  and  that 
Abe  Blower  had  foiled  their  designs. 

Presently  a  third  man,  a  fellow  named  Larry 
Jaley,  joined  the  others.  All  were  very  bitter 
against  Abe  Blower,  and  each  vowed  that  he 
would  "  git  square  "  with  the  old  prospector 
sooner  or  later.  From  their  talk  the  boys  learned 
that  the  men,  along  with  some  others  of  the 
crowd,  were  stopping  in  Butte  at  the  Solid  Com- 
fort House,  a  place  that,  so  they  afterwards 
learned,  bore  a  very  shady  reputation.  Nothing 
was  said  about  where  Abe  Blower  was  stopping, 
and  the  youths  did  not  dare  to  inquire,  for  fear  of 
making  the  men  suspicious. 

"  They  might  think  we  were  friends  of  Blower 
sent  to  spy  on  them,"  said  Phil.  "  They  must  know 
we  have  heard  some  of  their  talk." 

"  If  Abe  Blower  is  so  well  known  in  Butte  it 
ought  to  be  an  easy  matter  to  find  him,"  returned 


IN  BUTTE  133 

Dave.  "  We  can  look  for  him  in  the  directory 
and  the  telephone  book,  and  ask  for  him  at  the 
hotels  and  mining  offices." 

"  And  remember,  I  have  one  of  his  old  ad- 
dresses," said  Roger.  "  Maybe  the  folks  at  that 
place  know  where  he  has  gone." 

It  was  dark  when  they  rolled  into  the  railroad 
station  at  Butte,  a  typical  western  mining  city, 
with  a  population  of  about  thirty-five  thousand 
souls. 

"  No  use  in  trying  to  do  anything  to-night," 
said  Roger,  who  was  tired  and  knew  his  chums 
must  be  the  same.  "  We'll  go  to  some  first-class 
hotel  and  start  on  our  hunt  for  Blower  in  the 
morning." 

"  Yes,  I'm  dead  tired,"  answered  Phil,  who 
had  been  yawning  for  the  last  hour. 

The  boys  had  the  address  of  a  good  hotel,  and 
were  soon  on  the  way  to  the  place.  They  saw  the 
man  called  Sol  Blugg  start  off  down  a  side  street 
with  his  companions. 

"  I  wish  we  would  run  into  Link  Merwell  and 
Job  Haskers,"  remarked  Dave,  as  they  hurried 
towards  the  hotel. 

"What  good  would  that  do?"  demanded  the 
senator's  son. 

"  Then  I'd  know  they  hadn't  left  Butte  to  look 
for  that  lost  mine." 

"  Humph !  you  don't  suppose  they  are  going  to 


134    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

find  it  all  in  a  minute,  do  you,  Dave?"  asked 
Phil. 

"  No,  but  an  idea  just  struck  me." 

"  What?  "  asked  both  of  the  others. 

"  Supposing  Merwell  and  Haskers  should  hunt 
up  Blower  and  see  what  he  had  to  say  about  the 
lost  mine." 

"  Phew !  "  cried  Roger.  "  Do  you  think  they'd 
dare?" 

"  They  might.  They  have  done  some  pretty 
bold  things  lately.     Link  is  real  reckless." 

Roger  came  to  a  halt  on  the  pavement. 

"  Maybe  we  had  better  hunt  for  Abe  Blower 
right  away,"  he  declared. 

"  Oh,  come  on,  and  get  to  bed,"  yawned  Phil. 
"  Where  are  you  going  to  look  for  him  this  time 
of  night?" 

"  I  don't  know,  exactly.  But  we  could  make 
some  inquiries." 

"  Let  us  go  to  the  hotel  first,"  said  Dave. 
"  Then,  after  we  have  secured  rooms,  we  can 
hunt  around,  if  we  want  to." 

A  little  later  they  found  themselves  at  the  hotel, 
where  they  secured  two  rooms  with  a  bath.  At 
the  desk  they  asked  the  clerk  if  he  knew  an  old 
miner  and  prospector  named  Abe  Blower. 

"  Seems  to  me  I've  heard  the  name,"  replied 
the  clerk.  "  But  I  can't  just  place  it.  You  might 
ask  Tom  Dillon,  over  yonder.    He  knows  all  the 


IN  BUTTE  135 

old-timers  in  Butte,"  and  the  clerk  pointed  to  a 
man  who  sat  in  a  corner  of  the  hotel  lobby,  read- 
ing a  newspaper. 

Tom  Dillon,  round-faced  and  white-haired,  put 
down  his  paper  and  smiled  as  the  boys  came  up 
and  addressed  him.  He  was  an  old-time  miner, 
who  had  "  struck  it  rich,"  and  who  had  known 
how  to  take  care  of  his  wealth. 

"Sure,  I  know  most  of  the  old-timers!"  he 
exclaimed,  genially,  in  reply  to  Roger's  question. 
"  Who  are  you  looking  for?  " 

"  Let  me  introduce  myself  first,"  said  Roger. 
He  gave  his  name  and  also  those  of  his  chums. 
"  I  am  the  nephew  of  the  late  Maurice  Harrison, 
of  this  place." 

"You  don't  tell  me!  Maurice's  nevvy,  eh? 
Then  you  must  be  the  son  o'  Senator  Morr,  o'  the 
East?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Glad  to  know  ye !  Put  her  there,  young 
man!  "  And  Tom  Dillon  shook  hands  cordially 
all  around.  "  Yes,  I  knowed  your  uncle  well — 
we  did  a  bit  of  prospectin'  together  onct.  It 
broke  me  all  up  to  hear  how  he  died — so  many  o' 
the  old-timers  droppin'  off." 

"  It  was  a  great  shock  to  our  family,"  replied 
Roger.  "  Perhaps  you  know  what  brought  me  to 
Butte,"  he  continued,  looking  at  the  old  miner, 
questioningly. 


136    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  To  settle  up  the  estate,  I  reckon." 

"  In  a  way,  yes.  I  suppose  you  have  heard 
about  that  lost  mine?  " 

"  What,  the  Landslide?  Sure.  An' she's  gone 
fer  good,  lad;  don't  bank  on  ever  findin'  it  ag'in, 
for  if  you  do,  well,  I  think  ye'll  be  disapp'inted." 
And  Tom  Dillon  shook  his  head  slowly. 

"You  really  think  it  can't  be  found?"  asked 
Dave. 

"  I  ain't  sayin'  that.  But  chances  are  all  ag'in 
it.  Whar  that  mine  was  located,  the  big  land- 
slide changed  the  hull  face  o'  nature,  an'  all  kinds 
o'  landmarks  have  been  teetotally  lost." 

11  Well,  I  am  going  to  do  what  I  can,"  put  in 
Roger.  "  And  my  two  chums  are  going  to  help 
me.  But  I  was  going  to  ask  you  a  question.  The 
clerk  suggested  that  we  ask  you.  Do  you  know 
an  old  miner  named  Abe  Blower?  " 

"  Sure." 

"  Can  you  tell  me  where  he  is  now?  " 

"  He  lives  with  an  old  lady  named  Carmody, 
on  the  other  side  o'  town.  She  is  some  kind  o'  a 
relative  of  his,  and  came  on  from  the  South  to 
keep  house  fer  him.  But  he  ain't  home  much. 
He  spends  most  of  his  time  prospectin'.  Seems 
like  he  can't  give  it  up." 

"  I  wish  you'd  give  me  his  address,"  said  the 
senator's  son,  and,  having  received  it,  put  it  down 
in  a  note-book. 


IN  BUTTE  137 

As  late  as  it  was,  it  was  decided  to  walk  across 
town  to  where  Abe  Blower  resided,  and  the  three 
boys  set  out  without  delay. 

"  I'd  get  a  cab,  if  any  was  around,"  said  Roger, 
who  saw  how  tired  Phil  was. 

"  Maybe,  Phil,  you  had  better  go  to  bed  and 
let  Roger  and  me  go  to  Blower's  home,"  suggested 
Dave. 

"  No,  if  you  go,  I'll  go  too,"  declared  the  ship- 
owner's son,  who  never  cared  to  be  left  behind 
when  anything  was  going  on. 

The  place  where  Abe  Blower  resided  was  down 
at  the  end  of  a  side  street,  which,  at  this  hour  of 
the  night,  was  dark  and  deserted.  They  had  some 
little  difficulty  in  finding  the  right  number.  The 
house  stood  back  from  the  street,  and  not  a  single 
light  shone  within  it. 

"  Everybody  gone  to  bed,"  announced  Dave. 
"  It  seems  like  a  shame  to  wake  them  up." 

"  I'll  wait  till  morning,"  announced  the  sen- 
ator's son.  "  Now  we  know  just  where  the  place 
is,  we  can  come  here  directly  after  breakfast" 
And  so  it  was  settled. 

At  the  hotel  Phil  found  himself  so  tired  that 
he  pitched  into  bed  with  scant  ceremony.  After 
the  long  trip  on  the  train,  Dave  felt  that  he  needed 
a  bath  and  took  it,  followed  by  Roger.  Then  all 
went  sound  asleep,  not  to  awaken  until  daylight. 
Then  Phil  took  a  good  "  soak,"  as  he  called  a 


138    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

bath,  and  all  dressed  for  an  early  breakfast.  In 
the  dining-room  they  met  Mr.  Dillon. 

"  Find  Abe  last  night?  "  asked  the  old  miner, 
with  a  smile. 

"  We  located  the  house  and  are  going  over 
there  right  after  we  eat,"  answered  the  senator's 
son.  "  And  by  the  way,  Mr.  Dillon,"  he  con- 
tinued. "  Do  you  know  any  men  named  Blugg, 
Jaley,  and  Staver?  " 

"  Do  I !  "  cried  Tom  Dillon.  "  Sure  I  do,  an' 
so  do  lots  of  other  folks  in  these  diggin's.  What 
do  you  know  about  'em?" 

"  We  met  them  on  the  train." 

"  Don't  ye  have  nothin'  to  do  with  that  crowd, 
lads.  They  ain't  the  sort  you  want  to  train  with, 
nohow." 

"  We  are  not  going  to  train  with  them,"  said 
Dave. 

"  We  thought  they  were  pretty  hard  custom- 
ers," added  Phil. 

"  They  mentioned  Abe  Blower  and  one  of  them 
said  he  thought  Blower  had  queered  some  sort 
of  a  land  deal  they  were  trying  to  put  through," 
continued  Roger. 

"  Is  that  so !  Well,  if  Abe  did  that  I  give  him 
credit  for  it,  I  sure  do.  Those  fellers  are 
swindlers,  pure  an'  simple.  But  they  generally 
work  in  sech  a  way  that  the  law  can't  tech  'em.  I 
ain't  got  no  use  for  'em — and  I  reckon  Abe  ain't 


IN  BUTTE  139 

neither,"  went  on  the  old  miner,  vigorously.  And 
then  he  sat  down  to  breakfast  with  the  boys,  tell- 
ing them  much  about  Butte,  and  the  mining  coun- 
try around  it,  and  about  what  dealings  he  had 
had  with  Roger's  uncle. 

"  A  square  man  he  was,"  he  said.  "  And  a 
great  pity  the  way  he  dropped  off  and  had  his 
mine  lost  by  a  landslide." 

The  meal  over,  the  three  boys  lost  no  time 
in  walking  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  city, 
where  Abe  Blower  lived.  They  found  the  front 
windows  of  the  house  open  and  an  elderly 
woman  was  sweeping  off  the  front  stoop  with  a 
broom. 

"  Good-morning,"  said  Roger,  politely.  "  Is 
this  Mrs.  Carmody?  " 

"  Yes,  I'm  Mrs.  Carmody,"  was  the  reply,  and 
the  old  lady  looked  questioningly  into  Roger's 
face.  "  I  don't  seem  to  remember  you,"  she  went 
on. 

"  We  never  met  before,  Mrs.  Carmody," 
answered  Roger,  and  introduced  himself  and  his 
chums.     "  I  came  to  see  Mr.  Abe  Blower." 

The  woman  looked  quite  bewildered,  so  much 
so  that  the  boys  were  astonished.  She  dropped 
her  broom. 

"Did  you  say  you  was  Roger  Morr?"  she 
gasped,  looking  at  the  senator's  son. 

"Yes." 


140    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Then  what  brought  you  here — lookin'  fer 
Abe?" 

It  was  now  Roger's  turn  to  be  surprised. 

"  Why  do  you  ask  that?  "  he  questioned.  "  I 
came  because  I  want  to  have  a  talk  with  him,  and 
maybe  get  him  to  help  me  look  for  a  lost  mine." 

"  Well,  I  never !  "  gasped  Mrs.  Carmody,  and 
looked  more  bewildered  than  ever. 

"Isn't  Mr.  Blower  here?"  asked  Dave.  A 
sudden  idea  had  sprung  into  his  mind. 

"  Of  course  he  isn't  here.  I — I — don't  under- 
stand this  at  all — really,  I  don't." 

"  Don't  understand  what?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  Your  bein'  here,  after  the  letter  Abe  sent 
yesterday  afternoon.  Didn't  you  say  your  name 
was  Roger  Morr?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  you  went  off  with  Abe,  didn't  you?  " 

"Me?"  cried  Roger.  "Why,  I  have  never 
seen  him  as  yet." 

"Never  seen  him!"  gasped  Mrs.  Carmody. 
"  Well,  I  never!  Of  all  the  queer  things!  What 
can  it  mean?"  And  she  walked  to  a  chair  on 
the  stoop  and  sank  down  heavily. 


CHAPTER  XV 


AT  ABE  BLOWER  S  HOME 


The  boys  saw  at  once  that  something  was 
wrong.  Mrs.  Carmody  was  completely  be- 
wildered, and  being  old,  had  no  easy  time  of  it  to 
collect  her  wits. 

"  Do  you  feel  faint? "  asked  Dave,  kindly. 
"  Can  I  get  you  a  glass  of  water?  " 

"  No,  I'll  be  all  right  in  a  minute.  But  this 
beats  all,  it  sure  does !  "  replied  the  old  lady. 
"  Abe  wrote  that  he  was  going  off  with  a  Roger 
Morr  to  look  for  a  lost  mine,  and  here  you  are 
lookin'  for  Abe.     It  sure  is  a  puzzle." 

"He  wrote  that  he  was  going  off  with  me?" 
ejaculated  the  senator's  son. 

"  He  said  Roger  Morr.  If  that's  your 
handle " 

"  It  certainly  is." 

"This  must  be  Link  Merwell's  work!"  cried 
Dave.     "  Perhaps  he  met  Blower " 

"  And  impersonated  Roger,"  finished  Phil. 

"  Would  he  do  that?  "  questioned  the  senator's 
son.    "Would  he  dare?" 

141 


142    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  He  would,  if  he  thought  he  could  get  away 
with  the  trick,"  replied  Dave.  He  turned  to 
Mrs.  Carmody.  "  Would  you  mind  letting  us 
see  the  letter  Mr.  Blower  sent  you?" 

"  Sure.  I'll  get  it.  I  left  it  on  the  table,"  was 
the  answer,  and,  getting  up,  the  old  lady  went  into 
the  house.  "  Come  in,"  she  invited.  In  her 
younger  days  she  had  been  used  to  the  rough  life 
of  a  pioneer  and  she  did  not  stand  on  ceremony. 

The  boys  went  in,  and  presently  Mrs.  Carmody 
brought  forth  a  letter  written  in  lead  pencil  on  a 
half-sheet  of  note  paper.     It  ran  as  follows: 

"  Dear  Kate  : 

"  You  remember  I  tole  you  about  Maurice  Har- 
risons sister,  who  was  married  to  a  seanatour  of 
the  government.  Well,  his  son,  Rogar  Morr  has 
come  on  to  look  for  that  lost  mine — wants  for  me 
to  go  on  a  hunt  with  him  to  onse — so  as  it  is  good 
money  I  am  going — start  to  nite  in  a  hour — you 
git  Nell  Davis  to  stay  with  you  her  an  Ben  I 
wont  be  gone  morn  a  weak  or  to.  Abe." 

"  That's  the  letter  Abe  sent  me  yesterday," 
announced  Mrs.  Carmody.  "  You  see  he  says 
Roger  Morr,  the  son  of  the  senator.  If  that's 
you,  what  does  it  mean?"  and  she  looked  at 
Roger. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  it  means,"  answered  Dave. 
"  It  means  that  somebody  else  has  pretended  he 


AT  ABE  BLOWER'S  HOME  143 

is  Roger  here — an  enemy  who  wants  to  locate  the 
lost  mine  first,  if  he  can." 

"  O  dear!  Did  you  ever  hear  the  like!  Who 
was  it,  do  you  suppose?  " 

"  We've  got  a  pretty  good  idea,"  said  Roger. 
"  Nobody  you  know.  But  tell  me,  where  did  this 
letter  come  from?  " 

"  You  mean  who  brought  it?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Billy  Lane." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  Oh,  a  feller  around  town,  who  does  all  sort 
o'  odd  jobs." 

"  Then  you  don't  know  where  Mr.  Blower  was 
when  he  sent  it?  " 

"  No,  I  don't.  But  I  guess  he  wasn't  very  near, 
otherwise  he  would  have  come  here  hisself,  instead 
o'  writin' — for  writin'  comes  hard  to  Abe — he 
never  had  no  chanct  for  much  education.  And 
he  would  want  some  o'  his  clothes." 

The  boys  read  the  letter  a  second  time.  All 
were  convinced  that  Link  Merwell  had  gotten 
ahead  of  them  and  had  perpetrated  the  fraud  by 
impersonating  Roger. 

"  It  was  certainly  a  bold  stroke,"  was  Phil's 
comment. 

"  Yes,  and  a  clever  one  too,  in  a  way,"  replied 
Dave.  "  From  our  talk  in  the  summer-house 
Link  must  have  learned  that  Blower  and  the  late 


144    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Mr.  Harrison  were  warm  friends,  and,  that  being 
so,  Blower  would  be  willing  to  do  almost  anything 
for  Mr.  Harrison's  nephew.  And  Link  rushed 
Blower  away  in  a  hurry,  so  that  we  wouldn't  get 
at  him." 

"I  wonder  if  Haskers  is  with  him?"  mused 
Roger. 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder.  If  the  mine  is  found, 
Link  can't  claim  it,  for  he  would  be  arrested  on 
sight.  But  he  could  let  Haskers  claim  it,  and 
then  turn  it  over  to  somebody  else  and  thus  mix  it 
up,  so  that  you  would  be  out  of  it,"  answered 
Dave. 

"  What  do  you  think  I  had  best  do  next?  " 
asked  the  senator's  son.  The  unexpected  turn  of 
affairs  had  bewildered  him  almost  as  much  as  it 
had  bewildered  Mrs.  Carmody. 

"  I  don't  see  what  you  can  do,  Roger,  excepting 
to  start  on  a  hunt  for  the  Landslide  Mine  without 
Blower." 

"Yes,  let  us  do  that!"  cried  Phil.  "  Who 
knows  but  that  we'll  run  across  Blower  and  Mer- 
well?  And  if  we  do,  we  can  easily  prove  that 
Link  is  a  fraud." 

"  Well,  we'll  have  to  get  some  sort  of  a  guide," 
answered  Roger.  "  It  would  be  utterly  useless 
for  us  to  start  out  alone  in  such  a  country  as 
this." 

"  We   might   ask   Mr.   Dillon   to   recommend 


AT  ABE  BLOWER'S  HOME  145 

somebody,"  said  Dave.  "  He  appeared  to  be  a 
reliable  man." 

The  boys  talked  to  Mrs.  Carmody  for  a  few 
minutes  longer.  They  were  on  the  point  of  leav- 
ing the  house  when  there  came  a  loud  rap  on  the 
front  door. 

"  Perhaps  Blower  has  come  back!  "  cried  Phil. 

"  I  don't  think  he'd  knock,"  answered  Dave. 

"  No,  it  isn't  Abe,"  said  Mrs.  Carmody.  "  I'll 
go  and  see  who  it  is." 

She  went  to  the  door  and  opened  it, — to  find 
herself  confronted  by  a  tall,  leathery-looking  in- 
dividual whose  breath  smelt  strongly  of  liquor. 

"  Is  Abe  Blower  home?  "  demanded  the  man, 
in  a  thick  voice. 

"  No,  he  isn't,"  replied  Mrs.  Carmody,  stiffly. 
She  did  not  like  the  appearance  of  the  visitor. 

"  When  will  he  be  home?  "  went  on  the  man, 
and  tried  to  force  his  way  into  the  house. 

"  I  don't  know.  You  can't  come  in  here,  Sol 
Blugg!  "  And  Mrs.  Carmody  tried  to  shut  the 
door  in  the  man's  face. 

"  I  am  a-comin'  in,"  stormed  the  newcomer. 
"  I'm  a-comin'  in  to  wait  fer  Abe  Blower,  an'  when 
I  meet  him — well,  we'll  have  an  account  to  settle," 
and  the  man  lurched  heavily  against  the  door- 
frame. 

"  It's  one  of  the  fellows  we  met  on  the  train!  " 
whispered  Phil.    "  The  fellow  called  Sol  Blugg!  " 


146    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Yes,  and  that  other  man,  Larry  Jaley,  is  wait- 
ing on  the  sidewalk  for  him,"  announced  Dave, 
after  a  glance  through  a  window.  "  And  neither 
of  them  seem  to  be  very  sober." 

"  You  get  right  out  of  here,  Sol  Blugg!  "  cried 
Mrs.  Carmody,  with  sudden  energy.  "  Abe  ain't 
home,  an'  I  won't  have  you  hangin'  around.  You 
get  right  out!  "  And  she  caught  up  her  broom, 
which  chanced  to  be  behind  the  door. 

"  Drop  the  broom,  old  woman !  "  snarled  Sol 
Blugg,  and  it  was  plain  to  see  that  he  was  be- 
fuddled by  liquor.  "  I'm  a-comin'  in,  and  you 
sha'n't  stop  me!  " 

He  made  a  sudden  grab  and  caught  Mrs. 
Carmody  by  the  arm.  But  as  he  did  this,  Dave 
leaped  into  the  little  hallway  and  shoved  him 
back. 

11  Let  go  of  this  lady!  "  he  said,  sternly.  "  Let 
go,  or  I'll  knock  you  down!  " 

Surprised  and  bewildered,  Sol  Blugg  dropped 
his  hold  on  Mrs.  Carmody's  arm  and  glared  un- 
certainly at  our  hero. 

"Who — who  are  you?  "  he  faltered. 

"  Never  mind  who  I  am,"  replied  Dave.  "  You 
let  this  lady  alone  and  go  about  your  business." 

"  I  wanter  see  Abe  Blower." 

"  He  has  gone  away." 

"  Say,  where  have  I  seen  you?  "  demanded  the 
leathery-looking  man,  suddenly.     "  Oh,  I  remem- 


AT  ABE  BLOWER'S  HOME  147 

ber  now,  on  the  train,  comin'  from  the  land  sale. 
Say,  was  you  there?  " 

"No." 

"  I  know  better !  I  saw  you  on  the  train — you 
an'  them  other  fellers,  too !  "  And  Sol  Blugg 
pointed  unsteadily  at  Phil  and  Roger.  "  I  know 
how  it  is,"  he  went  on,  ramblingly.  "  You  went 
there  in  place  o'  Abe — queered  the  hull  thing  fer 
us,  you  did!  I  know!  You're  in  with  Abe,  an' 
Abe's  in  with  you !  Thought  you'd  do  us  out  o' 
our  little  game,  eh?  Say,  Larry!  "  he  called  to 
the  man  on  the  sidewalk.  "  Look  at  these  three 
fellers — same  ones  was  on  the  train  last  night. 
They  are  in  with  Abe — and  they  queered  us— put 
a  crimp  in  the  hull  game.  Now  they  say  Abe 
ain't  here.  Wot  are  we  going  to  do,  tell  me  that 
now,  what  are  we  goin'  to  do?  " 

11  Them  fellers!  "  exclaimed  Larry  Jaley,  catch- 
ing sight  of  the  boys.  "  I  remember  'em.  Say, 
maybe  they  heard  us  talkin' !  " 

"  Sure — they  must  have,"  mumbled  Sol  Blugg. 

"  Do  you  know  these  men?  "  asked  Mrs.  Car- 
mody. 

"  We  saw  them  on  the  train  last  night,  that 
is  all,"  answered  Roger.  "  They  said  some- 
thing about  Mr.  Blower  queering  a  land  deal  for 
them." 

"  Yes,  he  told  me  about  that,  too.  They  were 
going  to  swindle  some  folks,  and  Abe  heard  about 


148    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

it  and  gave  the  thing  away.  Abe  won't  stand  for 
anything  that  ain't  strictly  honest." 

"  Say,  I  want  you  to  know "  commenced  Sol 

Blugg,  and  tried  to  catch  hold  of  Mrs.  Carmody 
again.  But  this  time  Dave  was  too  quick  for  him. 
He  pushed  the  man  back,  turned  him  around,  and 
sent  him  flying  down  the  steps  to  the  street. 

"  Now,  you  go  on!  "  he  cried.  "  If  you  don't, 
you'll  get  into  trouble!  " 

"  That's  what!  "  said  Roger. 

"  Perhaps  you'd  like  to  be  arrested,"  added 
Phil. 

"  Come  on !  "  said  Larry  Jaley,  in  a  low  voice. 
"  Come  on,  Sol.  I  told  you  it  wouldn't  do  any 
good  to  come  here." 

"  I  didn't  expect  to  see  them  young  fellers," 
growled  the  leathery-looking  man.  "  But  I'm 
a-goin'  to  git  square  with  Abe  Blower,  jest  wait 
an'  see,"  he  added,  thickly;  and  then  he  and  his 
companion  started  up  the  street  and  around  the 
first  corner. 

"The  beasts!"  murmured  Mrs.  Carmody,  as 
she  gazed  after  them.  "  I  do  wish  I  had  used  the 
broom  over  Sol  Blugg's  head!  Maybe  it  would 
have  done  him  good!  " 

"  You  know  these  men,  then?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  Abe  knows  'em,  too !  It  seems 
that,  years  ago,  before  I  came  here,  Abe  used  to 
train  with  those  men,  in  the  mining  camps.     But 


But  this  time  Dave  was  too  quick  for  him.     He  pushed  the 
man  back. — Page  148 


AT  ABE  BLOWER'S  HOME  149 

they  were  a  hard  crowd,  used  to  drinkin'  and 
gamblin',  and  Abe  gave  'em  up  and  went  with 
men  like  Mr.  Harrison,  and  Tom  Dillon.  That 
made  Sol  Blugg  and  his  crowd  sore,  and  they 
often  tried  to  do  Abe  harm.  Now  that  Abe 
queered  that  land  swindle  for  'em  I  suppose  they 
are  more  sore  than  ever.  But  I  don't  think  they 
would  have  come  here,  only  they  have  been 
drinkin'." 

"  You  had  better  keep  on  the  lookout — they 
may  come  back,"  said  Dave. 

"  I'll  keep  on  guard,  don't  fear.  I've  got  one 
of  Abe's  pistols  in  the  house,  and  a  club,  too.  And 
I'll  get  that  neighbor  Abe  spoke  about  to  stay 
with  me,"  returned  Mrs.  Carmody.  "  But,  say," 
she  added,  suddenly.  "  You  better  keep  on  guard, 
too.  'Tain't  no  nice  thing  to  run  up  against  that 
bunch,  I  can  tell  you  that!  " 

"  Yes,  we'll  have  to  be  on  the  watch  from  the 
very  moment  we  leave  this  house,"  said  Roger. 

The  boys  talked  for  a  few  minutes  longer  with 
the  old  lady,  getting  what  information  they  could, 
and  then  hurried  back  to  their  hotel.  On  the  way 
they  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  leathery-looking 
man  and  his  cronies,  but  they  did  not  show  them- 
selves. 

It  was  an  easy  matter  for  them  to  find  old  Mr. 
Dillon,  who  was  reading  a  mining  journal  in  the 
smoking-room.     He  listened  with  much  interest  to 


150    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

what  they  had  to  tell.  As  they  felt  they  could 
trust  such  a  man,  they  withheld  nothing  from  him. 
"  It  certainly  is  some  game — this  trying  to  locate 
that  lost  Landslide  Mine,"  said  the  old  miner. 
"  I've  been  thinkin'  it  over  again  since  you  told 
me  about  it,  and  it  interests  me  mightily.  So  you 
want  somebody  to  go  with  you,  and  help  you  find 
the  right  trail,  and  find  Abe  Blower?  Well,  if 
you  don't  think  I'm  too  old,  I'll  go  myself  1" 
And  he  smiled  broadly  at  the  boys. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

ON  TO   BLACK   CAT   CAMP 

"  You  go !  "  cried  Dave. 

"  I  thought  you  had  given  up  prospecting,"  ex- 
claimed Roger. 

"  Not  but  that  we'd  be  glad  to  have  you  along," 
put  in  Phil,  hastily. 

"  Well,  I  have  given  up  prospecting,"  answered 
Mr.  Dillon,  with  that  broad  smile  still  on  his  face. 
"  But  I  like  to  go  out  once  in  a  while,  just  for  the 
sake  of  old  times.  Besides  that,  I  was  interested 
in  the  Landslide  Mine  myself  in  a  way." 

"How  so?"  asked  the  senator's  son. 

"  Well,  when  Maurice  Harrison  staked  the 
claim  I  came  along  and  staked  a  claim  a  bit  fur- 
ther up  the  trail.  It  wasn't  near  so  good  a 
prospect  as  was  the  Landslide,  but  it  was  pretty 
fair,  and  I  was  sorry  to  see  that  landslide  come 
along  an'  knock  us  all  out.  So,  if  we  find  the  lost 
Landslide  Mine  maybe  we'll  locate  my  mine,  too." 

"  Come  by  all  means,  and  welcome,  Mr.  Dil- 
lon!  "  cried  Roger.  "  If  you  had  that  mine  you 
speak  about  you  must  know  as  much  about  that 
district  as  Abe  Blower — maybe  more." 

151 


152    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  I  think  I  know  as  much,  but  not  any  more, 
lads.  Abe  is  a  good  prospector,  and  he  knows 
Montana  from  end  to  end,  an'  Idaho,  too,  as  well 
as  other  gold  fields.  He  has  made  money,  too, 
but  he  allers  spent  the  cash  lookin'  fer  bigger 
things,  while  I  salted  a  good  bit  o'  mine  away!  " 
And  Tom  Dillon  chuckled  broadly. 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  the  best  part 
of  an  hour,  and  it  was  decided  to  begin  the  hunt 
for  the  Landslide  Mine  on  the  following  morning. 

"  There  ain't  no  ust  bein'  in  too  much  o'  a 
hurry,"  said  Mr.  Dillon.  "  That  mine  ain't 
goin'  to  walk  away,  and  Abe  Blower  an'  those 
with  him  ain't  goin'  to  find  it  right  plumb  to  onct, 
believe  me !  I  guess  the  only  reason  those  others 
hurried  so  was  because  they  feared  you  would 
come  along  and  queer  their  game  with  Abe." 

"  I  think  that  myself,"  said  Roger. 

"  Abe  had  a  prospectin'  outfit  all  ready — he 
allers  has — up  to  Black  Cat  Camp.  That's  the 
startin'-point  for  the  Rodman  trail,  on  which  the 
Landslide  Mine  an'  my  mine  was  located.  Now 
we  haven't  any  outfit,  so  we'll  have  to  git  one  right 
here  in  Butte." 

"  We'll  get  whatever  you  say,"  answered  Roger. 
"  Of  course,  I  don't  want  to  make  this  too  expen- 
sive," he  added,  thinking  of  something  his  father 
had  told  him — that  just  at  present  finances  in 
the  Morr  family  were  not  at  their  best. 


ON  TO  BLACK  CAT  CAMP  153 

"  We  can  hire  hosses — I  know  where  to  git  just 
the  right  animals,"  said  Tom  Dillon.  "  And  we 
won't  pay  no  fortune  for  'em  either.  And  then 
you'll  want  some  different  clothes,"  and  he  looked 
critically  at  the  well-dressed  youths. 

"  Oh,  we  know  that — we  have  roughed  it  be- 
fore," returned  Dave.  And  he  mentioned  their 
trip  to  Star  Ranch,  to  Cave  Island,  and  to  the 
South  Sea  Islands,  Norway,  and  other  out-of-the- 
way  places. 

"  Well,  you  sure  have  traveled  some !  "  ex- 
claimed Tom  Dillon.  "  You'll  do  for  this  trip. 
I'm  glad  you  know  how  to  rough  it.  I  onct  had  a 
bunch  of  tenderfeet  along — young  fellers  from 
the  East,  who  had  never  roughed  it  before — and, 
believe  me,  what  those  chaps  didn't  know  would 
fill  a  boomer's  wagon  twict  over.  Why,  they 
couldn't  wash  less'n  they  had  a  basin  to  do  it  in 
an'  a  towel  to  dry  on,  an'  it  mixed  'em  all  up  to 
try  to  sleep  on  the  ground  rolled  in  a  blanket. 
An'  when  it  come  to  grub,  well,  they  was  a-lookin' 
for  napkins  an'  bread-an'-butter  plates,  an'  finger 
bowls,  an'  I  don't  know  what  all !  It  jest  made  me 
plumb  tired,  it  sure  did!"  And  the  old  miner 
sighed  deeply. 

"  We  won't  give  you  any  trouble  that  way," 
said  Dave,  with  a  grin.  "  Regular  camp  food  is 
good  enough  for  us,  and  I  can  sleep  almost  any- 
where if  I  am  tired  enough." 


154    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  And  you  can't  beat  Dave  riding,"  broke  in 
Roger.  "  When  he  was  at  Star  Ranch  he  busted 
the  wildest  bronco  you  ever  saw." 

"  Is  that  so !  Well,  I  don't  like  no  wild 
broncos.  I  like  a  good,  steady  hoss,  one  as  can 
climb  the  mountain  trails  and  is  sure-footed  on  the 
edge  o'  a  cliff.  That's  the  kind  we'll  git,"  con- 
cluded Tom  Dillon. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  proved  a  busy  one. 
The  boys  went  out  with  the  old  miner  to  secure 
the  horses  and  such  an  outfit  as  he  deemed  neces- 
sary. Then  they  spent  part  of  the  evening  in 
writing  letters  to  the  folks  in  Yellowstone  Park 
and  at  home.  Only  one  letter  came  in  for  them 
— one  from  Senator  Morr  to  his  son — and  this 
made  Roger  look  \  jry  sober. 

"  No  bad  news,  I  hope,"  said  Dave,  kindly. 

"  It's  about  dad's  private  affairs,"  was  the  re- 
ply. "  Things  have  taken  something  of  a  turn  for 
the  worse  financially."  Roger  gave  a  sigh.  "  Oh, 
I  do  hope  we  can  locate  that  lost  mine!  " 

"  We  all  hope  that!  "  said  Dave. 

"Indeed,  we  do!"  cried  Phil.  "We've  just 
got  to  do  it,"  he  added,  enthusiastically. 

Now  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  under- 
take the  expedition,  old  Tom  Dillon  brightened 
up  wonderfully,  and  to  the  boys  he  appeared  ten 
years  younger  than  when  they  had  first  met  him. 
He  was  a  fatherly  kind  of  a  man,  and  the  more 


ON  TO  BLACK  CAT  CAMP  155 

they  saw  of  him  the  better  they  liked  him.  He 
selected  the  outfit  with  care,  securing  five  good 
horses — one  for  each  of  them  and  an  extra  animal 
for  the  camp  stuff,  and  other  things  they  were  to 
take  along. 

In  a  place  like  Butte,  where  Tom  Dillon  was 
so  well  known,  it  soon  became  noised  around  that 
he  was  going  on  a  prospecting  tour.  Some  asked 
him  where  he  was  going,  but  he  merely  replied 
that  he  was  going  along  with  his  young  friends 
to  show  them  the  mining  districts. 

"  It  won't  do  to  let  'em  know  we  are  going  to 
look  for  a  mine,"  he  explained,  in  private.  "  If  we 
did  that,  we'd  have  a  crowd  at  our  heels  in  no 
time." 

The  news  concerning  the  expedition  reached  the 
ears  of  Sol  Blugg  and  his  cronies,  and  this,  coupled 
with  the  sudden  departure  of  Abe  Blower,  set 
that  crowd  to  wondering  what  was  up. 

"  Maybe  it's  another  gold  strike,"  suggested 
Larry  Jaley. 

"  It  might  be,"  said  the  fellow  called  Staver. 

"  If  I  thought  it  was  a  gold  strike  I'd  follow 
'em,"  announced  Sol  Blugg.  "  Tom  Dillon  allers 
was  a  good  one  at  strikes,  an'  so  was  Abe  Blower. 
They  know  enough  to  keep  away  from  anything 
thet  looks  like  a  wildcat.  I'm  a-goin'  to  look  into 
this,"  he  concluded.  And  after  that  the  Blugg 
crowd  kept  close  watch  on  Dave  and  his  friends. 


156    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

The  departure  was  made  from  Butte  about 
noon  of  the  next  day.  It  was  clear  and  warm, 
with  a  gentle  breeze  blowing  from  the  west. 

"  We  might  have  taken  a  train  for  the  first 
forty  miles,"  remarked  Tom  Dillon.  "  But  it 
wouldn't  have  helped  us  a  great  deal,  for  we'd 
have  to  side-track  for  ten  miles.  We'll  go  the  old 
way — the  way  we  went  afore  there  was  any  rail- 
roads." 

"  There  must  be  a  lot  of  mines  in  Montana," 
remarked  Phil,  as  they  rode  out  of  Butte. 

"  Somebody  told  me  there  had  been  over  fif- 
teen thousand  minin'  claims  staked  and  recorded," 
answered  the  old  miner.  "  O'  course,  lots  of  'em 
ain't  never  been  developed.  But  a  good  many  of 
'em  have." 

11  They  must  produce  a  lot  of  gold,"  said  Dave. 

"  Yes,  lad,  the  output  runs  up  into  the  millions 
every  year.  Oh,  a  good  mine  is  a  bonanza !  " 
added  Tom  Dillon,  emphatically. 

"  Then  I  trust  we  locate  the  Landslide  Mine, 
and  that  it  proves  a  bonanza,"  returned  Roger, 
eagerly. 

On  the  way  they  passed  mine  after  mine,  and 
the  boys  were  much  interested  in  watching  the 
process  of  getting  out  ore,  and  also  in  the  work  of 
the  huge  quartz-crushers.  Whenever  they  passed 
a  mine  there  would  be  sure  to  be  somebody  to 
wave  a  friendly  hand  to  Tom  Dillon. 


ON  TO  BLACK  CAT  CAMP  157 

"  He  certainly  is  well  known,"  whispered 
Roger  to  Dave. 

"  Yes,  and  we  were  mighty  lucky  to  fall  in  with 
him — after  missing  that  Abe  Blower,"  was  the 
reply. 

It  was  not  until  about  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon that  they  reached  a  small  settlement  known 
as  Robby's.  Here  they  rested  and  had  supper. 
They  inquired  about  Abe  Blower  and  his  party, 
but  could  find  out  nothing  concerning  them. 

"  They  must  have  gone  around  by  Tilton,"  said 
Tom  Dillon.  "  That's  just  as  good  a  trail  and 
about  as  short.  We'll  hear  from  them  at  Black 
Cat  Camp." 

It  had  been  decided  to  push  on  to  Black  Cat 
Camp  after  supper,  the  old  miner  stating  they 
ought  to  make  the  distance  in  three  hours.  Soon 
they  were  on  the  way  again,  just  as  the  sun  was 
sinking  behind  the  great  mountains  in  the  west. 

"  I  hope  Abe  Blower  stopped  for  the  day  at 
Black  Cat  Camp,"  said  Roger  to  his  chums. 
"  I'd  like  to  meet  him  and  confront  Link  Mer- 
well — and  Job  Haskers,  too,  if  he  is  with  them." 

"  So  would  I,"  added  Dave  and  Phil,  in  a 
breath. 

It  was  more  agreeable  riding,  now  that  the  heat 
of  the  day  was  over.  At  noon  it  had  been  very 
hot,  but  none  of  the  boys  had  complained,  al- 
though they  had  perspired  freely. 


158    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

As  it  became  darker  they  could  see  the  twink- 
ling lights  of  many  a  mining  town  and  camp  shin- 
ing out  in  the  mountains  and  the  valleys  below. 

"  It  didn't  used  to  be  so,  when  first  I  came  to 
Montana,"  remarked  Tom  Dillon.  "  In  them 
days  you  could  ride  out  here  all  night  an'  not  see 
a  light.  But  the  State  has  settled  putty  fast  in 
the  last  twenty-five  years.  They  are  buildin'  rail- 
roads everywhere,  an'  towns  spring  up  over  night, 
like  toadstools." 

"  Are  there  any  wild  animals  out  here?  "  ques- 
tioned Phil. 

"  Heaps  of  'em,  further  away  from  the  cities. 
Bears,  an'  mountain  lions,  an'  wildcats,  an' 
wolves.  An'  then  we  have  plenty  o'  mule  an' 
other  deer,  an'  elk,  as  well  as  Rocky  Mountain 
goats,  an'  mountain  sheep." 

"  Perhaps  we'll  get  a  chance  to  do  some  hunt- 
ing! "  exclaimed  Phil. 

"  Not  much,  this  time  o'  year,  lad.  But  you 
might  hunt  a  bear — if  he  cornered  you !  "  And 
Tom  Dillon  laughed  at  his  little  joke. 

"  Did  a  bear  ever  corner  you?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  Onct,  just  onct,  and  it  was  the  wust  experi- 
ence I  ever  had  with  a  wild  beast,"  replied  the 
old  miner.  "  I  was  out  prospectin'  when  I  got  on 
a  narrow  ledge  o'  rock.  All  to  onct  I  discovered 
a  grizzly  on  the  tudder  end  o'  the  ledge.  We 
was  both  sitooated,  as  the  sayin'  is,  so  I  couldn't 


ON  TO  BLACK  CAT  CAMP  159 

pass  the  bear  an'  he  couldn't  pass  me.  I  had  fired 
my  gun  an'  missed  him.  When  I  tried  to  pass  by 
he  riz  up  an'  growled  an'  when  he  tried  to  pass 
me  I  swung  my  gun  a-tryin'  to  knock  off  his  head. 
An'  so  we  had  it  fer  about  an  hour,  nip  an'  tuck, 
an'  nobuddy  doin'  nuthin." 

"  But  you  escaped,"  said  Roger.  "  How  did 
you  do  it?  " 

"  I  didn't  do  it — your  uncle,  Maurice  Harrison, 
done  it.  It  was  a  favor  I  owed  him  that  I  never 
got  paid  back,"  responded  Tom  Dillon,  feelingly. 
"  The  bear  got  mad  and  all  to  onct  sprung  at  me. 
I  swung  the  gun  an'  he  knocked  it  outer  my  hand. 
Then  I  heerd  a  report  from  another  ledge  above 
us,  and  over  rolled  Mr.  Bear,  shot  through  the 
heart.     An'  Maurice  Harrison  done  it." 

"Good  for  Uncle  Maurice!  "  cried  Roger. 

"  That  shot  came  just  in  time,"  went  on  the  old 
miner.  "  If  it  hadn't — well,  I  wouldn't  be  here, 
lookin'  for  the  Landslide  Mine,"  concluded  Tom 
Dillon. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  want  a  bear  to  corner 
me,"  said  Phil,  with  a  shiver. 

"  No,  we'll  leave  the  bears  alone,  if  they'll  leave 
us  alone,"  returned  Dave. 

It  was  a  little  before  nine  o'clock  when  they 
came  in  sight  of  Black  Cat  Camp,  a  typical  mining 
community,  perched  on  the  side  of  one  of  the  foot- 
hills leading  to  the  mountains.     There  was  one 


160    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

main  street,  stretched  out  for  the  best  part  of  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  All  the  buildings  were  of  wood 
and  none  of  them  over  two  stories  in  height. 

"We'll  go  to  Dick  Logan's  place,"  said  Mr. 
Dillon.  "  That  is  where  Abe  Blower  used  to 
keep  his  outfit." 

The  boys  found  Logan's  place  to  consist  of  a 
general  store,  with  a  sort  of  boarding-house  and 
stables  attached.  Dick  Logan  was  behind  the 
counter  of  the  store,  in  his  shirtsleeves.  He 
greeted  the  old  miner  with  a  smile,  and  shook 
hands  cordially. 

"Is  Abe  Blower  around?"  demanded  Tom 
Dillon,  without  preliminaries  of  any  kind. 

"  He  was  around,  Tom,  yesterday,"  was  Dick 
Logan's  answer.  "  But  he  left  here  about  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ALONG  THE  MOUNTAIN  TRAIL 

The  boys  had  expected  some  such  answer  as 
this,  so  they  were  not  greatly  surprised.  They 
were  introduced  to  the  storekeeper  by  Tom  Dil- 
lon, who  then  asked  if  Abe  Blower  had  been 
alone. 

"  No,  he  had  two  others  with  him — strangers 
to  me,"  answered  Dick  Logan. 

"  Was  one  of  the  strangers  an  elderly  man  and 
the  other  a  young  fellow  like  ourselves?"  asked 
Roger. 

"  Yes,  a  tall,  thin  man.  The  young  feller 
called  him  Haskers,  I  think." 

"What  name  did  the  young  man  go  by?" 
asked  Dave. 

"  Morse,  I  think — or  something  like  that." 

uMorr?"putinPhil. 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  that  was  it.  Then  you  know 
'em?"  questioned  the  storekeeper,  with  interest. 

"  Yes,  we  know  them,  and  we'd  like  to  meet 
them,"  answered  Roger,  dryly. 

"  Well,  I  dunno  where  they  went — Abe  didn't 

161 


162    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

say  an'  it  wasn't  my  business  to  question  'em," 
returned  Dick  Logan.  "  Looked  to  me  like 
the  elderly  gent  was  some  kind  o'  a  school 
sharp." 

"  He  used  to  be,"  answered  Dave.  "  And  we 
all  were  under  him." 

"  Oh,  I  see.  Well,  I  dunno  where  they  went, 
'ceptin'  they  struck  out  along  the  Billy  Rodman 
trail,"  said  the  storekeeper. 

"  Abe  took  his  regular  outfit,  I  reckon,"  re- 
marked Tom  Dillon. 

"  Sure — he  never  goes  up  in  the  mountains 
without  it,  Tom;  you  know  that." 

"And  the  three  were  alone?" 

"  I  didn't  see  nobody  else." 

"  Can  you  put  us  up  for  the  night,  Dick?  " 

"  I  can  if  the  young  fellers  will  sleep  in  one 
room.  I  got  a  little  room  fer  you  an'  a  big  one 
I  can  put  three  cots  in." 

"  That  will  do  for  us,"  answered  Roger.  "  We 
have  been  out  in  such  places  as  this  before,"  he 
added,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  We  ain't  got  no  bathrooms,  nor  electric  ele- 
vators," returned  Dick  Logan,  with  a  chuckle. 
"  But  we  kin  give  you  clean  beds  an'  blankets,  and 
good  grub." 

"  You  don't  have  to  tell  me  that,  Dick,"  put  in 
Tom  Dillon.  He  turned  to  the  others.  "  It's 
all   right,   boys;  just  make  yourselves  at  home. 


ALONG  THE  MOUNTAIN  TRAIL         163 

We'll  get  a  good  night's  rest  here,  and  follow  Abe 
and  the  others  fust  thing  in  the  mornin'." 

The  room  the  boys  occupied  was  on  the  second 
story,  at  the  corner  of  the  building.  Under  the 
side  window  was  a  driveway  leading  back  to  the 
stables  attached  to  the  establishment.  The  apart- 
ment had  two  cots  already  in  it  and  a  third  was 
speedily  forthcoming,  being  put  in  place  by  a 
negro  man-of-all-work. 

"  Well,  that  long  ride  to-day  certainly  made 
me  tired,"  remarked  Phil,  as  he  started  to  un- 
dress. "  I  could  sleep  standing  up,  as  the  saying 
goes." 

"  I'm  tired  myself,"  answered  Roger. 

"  Wonder  how  the  folks  are  making  out  in  the 
Park,"  came  from  Dave.  "  I  hope  they  have  bet- 
ter accommodations  than  this,"  and  he  glanced 
around  at  the  bare  walls  and  bare  floor. 

"  Oh,  Yellowstone  Park  has  some  fine  hotels," 
declared  Roger.  "  I  read  all  about  them  in  one 
of  the  tourists'  guides.  They  have  just  erected  a 
new  one  that  they  say  is  a  dandy." 

"  Never  mind  those  hotels  now!  "  cried  Dave, 
as  he  slipped  off  one  shoe  after  another.  "  It's 
get  to  bed  now  and  an  early  start  in  the  morning 
to  see  if  we  can't  catch  Blower,  Haskers,  and — 
Morr !  "  and  he  grinned. 

"  The  cheek  of  Link  Merwell  using  my  name !  " 
murmured  the   senator's   son.      "  I'll — I'll  knock 


164    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

him  down  for  that,  if  I  get  the  chance!  "  And 
his  eyes  blazed  for  the  moment. 

Soon  the  boys  were  abed  and  it  did  not  take 
them  long  to  drop  into  profound  slumber.  In 
the  next  room  was  Tom  Dillon,  also  sleeping 
peacefully. 

Dave  was  the  first  to  awaken  and  he  slid  off  of 
his  cot  to  look  out  of  the  window,  to  see  what 
kind  of  weather  it  was.  The  window  had  been 
left  wide  open,  to  let  in  the  fresh  air,  and  as  our 
hero  stuck  out  his  head  and  glanced  down  in  the 
alleyway  leading  to  the  stables,  he  uttered  an  ex- 
clamation of  surprise. 

"What  is  it?"  questioned  Roger,  rousing  up, 
followed  by  Phil. 

"  Those  men !  "  murmured  Dave.  "  Look,  fel- 
lows!" 

The  others  came  to  his  side  and  looked  out  of 
the  window.  Just  emerging  from  the  alleyway 
were  three  men  on  horseback,  all  equipped  for 
camping  out.  The  three  men  were  Blugg,  Jaley, 
and  Staver. 

"Well,  I  declare!  What  are  those  fellows 
doing  here?  "  cried  the  senator's  son. 

"  Can  they  be  following  us?  "  questioned  Phil. 

"  I  don't  know.  They  came  from  the  stables," 
answered  our  hero.  "  Most  likely  they  had  their 
horses  there  over  night.  We  can  find  out  when 
we  go  down." 


ALONG  THE  MOUNTAIN  TRAIL         165 

"Where  are  they  going?"  asked  the  ship- 
owner's son. 

All  watched  for  a  minute  or  two  and  saw  the 
Blugg  crowd  pass  down  the  main  street  of  the 
camp  and  around  a  warehouse  corner.  Then  they 
were  lost  to  view. 

Tom  Dillon  had  heard  the  boys  rising  and  was 
now  up  himself  and  getting  dressed.  He  listened 
with  interest  to  what  they  had  to  relate. 

"  It's  queer  that  crowd  should  be  here,  after 
what  happened  in  Butte,"  he  said.  "  I'll  ask  Dick 
Logan  about  'em,  when  we  go  to  breakfast." 

When  questioned,  the  proprietor  of  the  place 
stated  that  Blugg  and  the  others  had  come  in  late, 
after  the  Morr  party  were  abed.  As  the  place 
was  full  they  had  accepted  a  room  in  the  building 
across  the  street,  but  had  put  up  their  horses  in 
the  Logan  stable.  They  had  paid  in  advance, 
stating  they  were  going  to  leave  at  daybreak. 

"  Let  us  ask  the  stable  man  about  this,"  sug- 
gested Dave,  in  a  whisper,  to  his  chums,  and  as 
soon  as  breakfast  was  over,  they  went  out  and 
hunted  up  that  individual. 

"  Nobody  teched  your  outfit,  I  dun  see  to  that," 
said  the  colored  man.  "  I  slept  right  by  your 
hosses  an'  things." 

"  Did  you  talk  to  those  men  who  came  in  late 
last  night?"  asked  Dave. 

11  They  did  most  of  the  talkin',  boss.     They 


166    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

wanted  to  know  all  about  your  party — whar  you 
was  a-gwine,  an'  all  that.  But  I  didn't  give  'em 
no  satisfaction,  I  didn't.  Boss  Dillon  tole  me  las' 
night  to  keep  my  trap-doah  closed,  an'  when  Boss 
Dillon  sez  a  thing  I  dun  know  he  means  it, — so  I 
didn't  tell  'em  nuffin'." 

"  Good  for  Mr.  Dillon !  "  cried  Roger.  "  They 
didn't  say  what  brought  them  here?  " 

"  No,  sah.  When  they  see  I  didn't  have  nuffin' 
to  tell  they  jest  closed  up,  too,"  and  the  negro 
grinned,  broadly.  He  had  been  liberally  tipped 
by  Tom  Dillon  and,  besides,  he  considered  it  an 
honor  to  serve  such  a  well-known  personage  and 
one  who  had  "  made  his  pile,"  as  it  is  often  ex- 
pressed in  that  part  of  our  country. 

The  lads  and  the  old  miner  were  soon  ready 
for  the  trail,  and,  bidding  Dick  Logan  farewell, 
they  set  off  through  the  main  street  of  Black  Cat 
Camp  in  the  direction  of  the  Rodman  trail,  called 
by  a  few  old-timers  Smoky  Hill  trail.  As  they 
rode  along  they  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  Sol 
Blugg  and  his  cohorts,  but  that  gang  did  not  show 
itself. 

"  But  they  must  be  watching  us,  I  am  almost 
certain  of  that,"  said  Dave.  And  he  was  right. 
They  were  watching  from  behind  one  of  the  build- 
ings of  Black  Cat  Camp,  and  as  soon  as  it  seemed 
safe  to  do  so,  Sol  Blugg  ordered  those  with  him 
to  take  up  the  trail. 


ALONG  THE  MOUNTAIN  TRAIL         167 

"  Abe  Blower  came  this  way,  in  a  hurry,  too," 
said  Blugg,  to  his  cronies.  "  Now  Tom  Dillon 
is  going  the  same  way,  and  also  in  a  hurry.  That 
means  that  something  is  in  the  wind.  Maybe  it's 
another  big  discovery  of  gold,  like  when  they 
opened  up  Big  Bear  Camp,  and  Hitchley's,  an'  if 
it  is,  we  want  to  be  in  on  the  ground  floor." 

"  Right  you  air,  Sol,"  said  Larry  Jaley.  "  And 
if  we  can  cut  Abe  out  o'  anything,  so  much  the 
better,  fer  the  trick  he  played  us  in  that  land  deal." 

"  The  two  crowds  must  be  in  with  each  other, 
otherwise  wot  was  them  young  fellers  as  is  now 
with  Dillon  doin'  at  Abe's  house?" 

"  We'll  find  out  their  game,  sooner  or  later," 
muttered  Sol  Blugg.  "  We'll  keep  on  their  trail 
— but  we  mustn't  let  'em  see  us,  or  they'll  take  to 
some  side-trail  and  put  us  in  blind." 

It  was  another  clear  day,  but  the  breeze  from 
the  mountains  was  fresher,  so  that  riding  was  not 
so  tiresome  as  it  had  been  on  the  first  day  out. 
The  trail  was  wide,  in  fact  often  used  by  wagons 
and  carts,  so  that  our  friends  could  ride  two 
abreast. 

"  Not  much  of  a  farming  country  around  here," 
remarked  Dave,  as  he  looked  at  the  general  bar- 
renness of  the  aspect.  Here  and  there  were 
clumps  of  trees  and  patches  of  rough  grass,  and 
that  was  all. 

"  The  farming  country  is  further  down,  in  the 


168    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

valleys,"  answered  Tom  Dillon.  "  Some  pretty 
good  soil,  too.  But  up  this  way  it's  only  good 
for  mining.  But  that's  good  enough — if  you've 
got  a  paying  mine,"  and  his  kindly  eyes  twinkled. 

"You  bet!"  replied  Dave,  slangily.  "Oh,  I 
do  hope  we  find  this  mine,"  he  added,  in  a  lower 
tone.      "  The  Morr  family  need  it." 

"  I  thought  the  senator  was  putty  well  fixed." 

"  He  was,  but  he  isn't  now — and  there  is  dan- 
ger of  his  losing  his  office  this  fall.  If  he  does 
lose  it,  and  we  don't  find  the  mine,  I  am  afraid 
it  is  going  to  go  rather  hard  with  the  family." 

"  I  see.  Well,  we'll  do  our  best — nobuddy  can 
do  more." 

"  About  how  much  further  is  that  Landslide 
district  from  here?" 

"  Not  over  sixty  miles  as  the  crows  fly.  But  by 
the  trails  it's  every  bit  o'  twice  that  distance.  An' 
some  putty  stiff  travelin',  too,  in  some  spots,  be- 
lieve me!  "added  the  old  miner. 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  stand  it?  " 

"  Sure  I  can.  And  I  like  it,  too,  lad.  I  git 
tired  o'  sittin'  around  the  hotel,  doin'  nuthin'  but 
readin'  the  papers  and  trying  to  be  what  they  call 
a  gent  of  leisure.  I  was  brought  up  on  hard 
work,  and  outdoor  life,  and  I  just  have  to  git 
back  to  it  onct  in  a  while.  If  you  hadn't  come 
along  as  you  did,  most  likely  I  would  have  dug 
out  for  the  diggin's  alone  afore  long." 


ALONG  THE  MOUNTAIN  TRAIL         169 

"  It's  a  grand  life  to  lead — this  one  in  the  open 
air,"  said  Dave,  filling  his  lungs  with  the  ozone 
from  the  mountains. 

"  Best  in  the  world,  lad.  It's  the  only  life  fer 
me,  too.  If  I  had  to  sit  in  an  office  all  day,  or 
around  a  hotel  where  I  had  to  wear  one  of  them 
biled  shirts  and  a  coat  cut  like  a  tack  puller,  I'd 
die,  believe  me  !  I'd  rather  wear  a  gray  shirt,  an' 
eat  off  a  tin  plate,  any  day!  " 

By  noon  they  came  to  a  little  mountain  stream 
of  the  freshest  and  purest  of  water  and  there  they 
went  into  temporary  camp.  A  tiny  blaze  was 
kindled,  and  they  made  some  coffee,  which  they 
drank  while  eating  some  sandwiches  Dick  Logan 
had  put  up  for  them. 

"  See  that  ridge?  "  asked  Tom  Dillon,  just  be- 
fore they  were  ready  to  start  again,  and  he  pointed 
to  an  elevation  to  the  northwest.  And  as  all 
three  lads  said  they  did,  he  continued:  "Well, 
just  back  o'  that  is  the  deestrict  where  that  big 
landslide  took  place  and  buried  the  Landslide 
Mine  out  o'  sight." 

"  Why,  that  doesn't  look  to  be  very  far  away!  " 
cried  Roger. 

"  No,  it  don't  look  so,  lad.  But  you  must  re- 
member that  the  air  up  here  is  very  clear  an' 
you  can  see  for  a  long  distance.  You'll  find  it  a 
long,  hard  ride  afore  you  reach  that  ridge,  let 
alone  the  place  behind  it  where  the  mine  was." 


170    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Are  there  any  settlements  on  the  way?  "  asked 
Phil. 

"  None  that  we  will  visit.  Shaleyville  is  in  that 
direction,  and  Tim  Dixon's  over  yonder,  with  Big 
Tree  back  o'  it.  But  we  will  give  them  all  the 
go-by  an'  stick  to  this  trail,"  concluded  Tom  Dil- 
lon. 

All  through  the  long  afternoon  they  rode  for- 
ward, up  and  up,  the  horses  panting  for  breath  as 
the  ascent  grew  more  steep.  Many  times  they 
had  to  stop  to  rest.  As  they  mounted  higher,  the 
panorama  of  hills  and  mountains  grew  larger. 

"What  a  beautiful  spot!"  cried  Dave,  when 
they  were  resting.  "  What  a  grand  painting  this 
would  make !  " 

"  You'll  find  a  painting  of  it — at  the  capitol 
building,"  replied  Tom  Dillon.  "  A  celebrated 
painter  painted  it  and  sold  it  to  our  State  gov- 
ernment." 

Forward  they  went  again.  Phil  was  now  in 
the  rear,  looking  after  the  horse  that  was  carrying 
their  camping  outfit.  Just  as  those  in  front  had 
turned  a  dangerous  corner  of  the  rocky  trail  they 
heard  a  sharp  cry  from  the  shipowner's  son. 

"  Help  !  Quick,  somebody  help  me !  Stop  that 
horse  from  falling  over  the  cliff !  " 


"Quick,  somebody  help  me!     Stop  that  horse  from  falling 
over  the  cliff!  "—Page  170* 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  STOLEN   HORSES 


"Oh,  look!" 

"  That  horse  is  going  over  the  cliff !  " 

"  Take  care,  Phil,  or  he'll  drag  you  with  him !  " 

Such  were  some  of  the  cries  which  arose  as  the 
others  looked  back  on  the  rocky  trail  and  saw  the 
situation. 

The  horse  with  the  outfit  had  struck  against  a 
projecting  rock  and  been  thrown  sideways,  to 
where  the  trail  crumbled  away  in  some  loose  stones 
close  to  the  edge  of  the  dangerous  cliff.  The  ani- 
mal and  the  outfit  were  in  danger  of  going  down 
to  the  depths  below.  Phil,  on  his  own  horse,  had 
caught  hold  of  the  other  horse's  halter  and  was 
trying  to  haul  him  to  a  safer  footing.  But  the 
youth  and  his  steed  were  losing  ground  instead  of 
gaining  it. 

"  Let  go,  or  you'll  go  over!  "  screamed  Roger, 
in  increasing  alarm.     "  Let  the  outfit  go,  Phil!  " 

The  shipowner's  son  tried  to  do  as  bidden. 
But  now  a  new  difficulty  presented  itself.  In  his 
eagerness  to  hold  the  halter  Phil  had  twisted  it 

171 


172    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

about  his  hand  and  wrist.  Now  it  was  caught  in 
the  very  flesh  and  almost  pulling  one  arm  from 
its  socket,  as  he  tried  to  make  his  own  horse  hold 
back. 

Dave  turned  swiftly  and  so  did  the  others,  and 
for  the  moment  there  was  quite  a  mix-up  on  the 
narrow  trail,  and  all  were  in  danger  of  losing 
their  footing.  Then  they  crowded  to  Phil's  side, 
and  while  Dave  caught  hold  of  the  halter,  Tom 
Dillon  and  Roger  caught  the  falling  horse  with 
the  outfit. 

"  Turn  him  around — this  way!  "  yelled  the  old 
miner,  and,  old  as  he  was,  he  showed  a  wonderful 
strength  in  shoving  the  falling  horse  back  to  a 
firmer  footing.  The  loose  stones  went  clattering 
over  the  cliff  in  a  shower,  and  more  than  one  horse 
snorted  in  fright. 

It  was  a  moment  of  dire  peril  and  it  looked  as 
if  somebody,  or  at  least  one  of  the  animals,  must 
go  over  into  that  yawning  chasm  below.  A  stone 
was  flung  up  by  a  hoof,  hitting  Dave  in  the  cheek. 
But  he  retained  his  hold  on  the  halter  and  pulled 
for  all  he  was  worth.  Then  came  another  strug- 
gle, and  at  last  the  horse  with  the  outfit  stood  on 
the  safe  portion  of  the  dangerous  trail;  and  the 
peril  was  at  an  end. 

"  Oh !  "  gasped  Phil,  and  for  the  moment  that 
was  all  he  was  able  to  say. 

"  Give  me  that  halter,"  said  Tom  Dillon.     "  I'll 


THE  STOLEN  HORSES  173 

lead  him  while  we  are  on  this  narrow  part  of  the 
trail." 

"Are  you  hurt,  Phil?"  asked  Dave. 

"I — I  guess  not!"  was  the  panting  answer. 
"  But  I — I  sure  did  think  I  was  going  over  there !  " 
And  the  shipowner's  son  shuddered. 

"Your  cheek  is  cut,  Dave!"  cried  Roger. 
"  How  did  that  happen?  " 

"  Oh,  it's  only  a  scratch — made  by  a  flying 
stone,"  was  the  answer.  "  It  doesn't  amount  to 
anything." 

"  I  didn't  dream  that  this  trail  would  be  so  dan- 
gerous," went  on  the  senator's  son.  "  If  I  had 
known  it,  I  wouldn't  have  asked  you  fellows  to 
come  along." 

"  Oh,  it's  not  so  bad,"  returned  Phil,  hastily. 
"  That  horse  was  awkward — he's  the  worst  of  the 
bunch." 

"  That's  right,  an'  they  had  no  right  to  hire 
me  such  a  hoss,"  put  in  Tom  Dillon.  "  When 
we  git  back  I'll  give  that  feller  who  did  it  a  piece 
o'  my  mind.  I  tole  him  I  wanted  critters  used  to 
the  mountain  trails.  The  hosses  we  are  ridin'  are 
all  right,  but  this  one,  he's  a  sure  tenderfoot.  He 
ought  to  be  in  the  city,  behind  a  truck." 

Soon  the  narrow  portion  of  the  rocky  trail  was 
left  behind  and  then  all  of  the  boys  breathed 
easier. 

"  That  trail  back  thar  is  bad  enough,"  was  Tom 


174    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Dillon's  comment.  "  But  ye  ought  to  see  it  in 
the  winter  time,  with  ice  an'  snow  on  it!  Then 
it's  some  travelin',  believe  me !  " 

"None  for  mine!  "  answered  Phil.  "  I  want 
to  see  the  ground  when  I  travel  in  a  spot  like 
that." 

As  soon  as  the  trail  became  better  they  went 
forward  at  the  best  possible  speed,  for  they 
wished,  if  they  could,  to  catch  up  with  Abe  Blower 
and  those  with  him. 

"  You  don't  suppose  Blower  would  turn  off  of 
this  trail?  "  questioned  Roger,  of  the  old  miner,  as 
they  rode  along. 

"  He  couldn't  turn  off  until  he  reached  wot  we 
call  Talpoll  Crossin',"  answered  Tom  Dillon. 
"  And  we  won't  git  thar  until  some  time  to-mor- 
row." 

They  were  climbing  up  a  steady  grade  and  so 
had  to  stop  again  and  again  to  rest  the  horses. 
The  trail  wound  in  and  out  among  the  hills,  and 
before  the  party  was  the  big  mountain. 

"  Stop  an'  I'll  show  you  something!  "  cried  the 
old  miner,  presently,  and  as  they  halted  he  pointed 
toward  the  mountain  with  his  hand.  "  See 
that  knob  a  stickin'  out  ag'in  the  sky?"  he  ques- 
tioned. 

"  The  one  with  the  yellowish  spot  on  it? " 
asked  Dave. 

"  Yes.     Well,  that  is  where  the  big  landslide 


THE  STOLEN  HORSES  175 

took  place  an'  buried  the  Landslide  Mine  an'  my 
claim  out  o'  sight." 

All  of  the  boys  gazed  with  interest  at  the  spot 
which,  of  course,  was  many  miles  away.  They 
saw  they  would  have  to  work  their  way  over  two 
more  hills  and  through  several  hollows  to  get  to 
it.  Ahead  they  could  occasionally  see  the  trail, 
but  not  a  soul  was  in  sight. 

"Look!"  exclaimed  Dave,  as  he  turned  to 
gaze  below  them  along  the  trail  they  had  been 
pursuing.     "I  can  see  something  moving!" 

"  Maybe  cattle,"  suggested  Roger,  after  a  long 
look. 

"  No,  I  think  it  is  a  crowd  on  horseback," 
answered  our  hero,  after  another  look. 

Roger  had  with  him  a  small  pair  of  field-glasses, 
and  he  had  brought  them  forth  to  gaze  at  the 
mountain  where  the  Landslide  Mine  had  been  lo- 
cated. Now  he  turned  them  on  the  distant  objects 
Dave  had  discovered. 

"  Horsemen  true  enough,"  he  said,  after  a  look. 
"  Three  of  them." 

"  Oh,  say,  do  you  think  they  can  be  Sol  Blugg 
and  his  two  cronies?  "  burst  out  Phil. 

"  Maybe,"  answered  Roger.  "  I  can't  make 
them  out  from  this  distance." 

"  Let  me  take  a  look,"  suggested  Tom  Dillon, 
and  adjusted  the  glasses  to  his  eyes.  "  You  are 
right — they  are  three  men  on  horses.     But  who 


176    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

they  are  I  don't  know.  Plenty  o'  miners  travel 
this  trail  at  one  time  or  another." 

They  looked  at  the  distant  horsemen  for  sev- 
eral minutes.  Then  the  field-glasses  were  put 
away  and  they  continued  their  journey. 

Nightfall  found  them  in  a  district  that,  to  the 
boys,  was  desolation  itself.  Rocks  were  on  every 
side,  with  little  patches  of  the  coarsest  kind  of 
growth,  brushwood,  stalk-like  grass,  and  cacti. 
The  air  was  so  pure  and  thin  that  it  fairly  made 
one's  nose  tingle  to  breathe  it. 

All  were  tired  out — indeed  the  boys  were  so  stiff 
from  the  long  ride  that  they  could  scarcely  climb 
down  from  their  saddles.  But  not  for  the  world 
were  they  going  to  let  Tom  Dillon  know  this. 
They  had  told  the  old  miner  that  they  were  used 
to  roughing  it  and  they  wanted  to  "  make  good  " 
in  his  eyes. 

Some  brushwood  was  gathered  and  a  fire 
started,  and  the  horses  were  tethered  near  by. 
The  old  miner  knew  where  there  was  a  spring  of 
drinkable  water — something  occasionally  hard  to 
find  in  a  district  full  of  all  sorts  of  minerals — and 
soon  they  had  some  boiling  for  coffee.  Then 
their  outfit  was  unstrapped,  and  they  prepared 
supper  and  got  ready  to  turn  in  for  the  night. 

"  I  wonder  if  we  can't  see  something  of  the 
campfire  of  Abe  Blower,  if  he  is  ahead,"  remarked 
Dave. 


THE  STOLEN  HORSES  177 

"  We  might  have  a  look  for  it,"  answered 
Roger. 

There  was  a  tall  rock  just  behind  their  camp, 
and  this  the  two  youths  climbed,  Phil  saying  he 
was  too  tired  to  stir.  It  was  harder  work  than 
Dave  and  Roger  had  anticipated,  but,  once  they 
had  started,  they  hated  to  give  up.  Up  and  up 
and  still  up  they  went,  climbing  from  one  eleva- 
tion to  another  by  means  of  the  rocks  themselves 
and  bits  of  coarse  grass  and  brushwood. 

"  There,  I  reckon  we  are  high  enough  now!  " 
cried  the  senator's  son,  after  nearly  half  an  hour's 
climbing.  "  Anyway,  I  am  going  to  stop  !  "  And 
he  began  to  pant  for  breath. 

The  two  boys  looked  around  them.  The  sun 
had  sunk  to  rest  behind  the  mountain  in  the  west, 
and  the  hollows  between  the  hills  were  deep  in 
the  gloom  of  the  oncoming  night.  Far  back  on 
the  trail  they  had  come  they  saw  a  small  fire  start 
up. 

"  That  must  be  the  campfire  of  those  three 
horsemen,"  said  Dave. 

"  More  than  likely,"  responded  his  chum. 
"  Do  you  see  anything  ahead?  " 

Both  looked,  but  for  a  long  time  could  see 
nothing.  Then  they  caught  a  faint  gleam  from 
a  point  apparently  halfway  up  the  mountain,  in 
the  direction  where  the  Landslide  Mine  was  sup- 
posed to  be  located. 


178    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"Maybe  that's  Abe  Blower's  camp!"  cried 
Dave,  who  was  the  first  to  discover  the  light. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  if  Link  Merwell  and  Job 
Haskers  are  really  with  him,"  said  Roger. 

"  We  ought  to  be  able  to  catch  up  to  them  by 
to-morrow,  so  Mr.  Dillon  said." 

"  Unless  Merwell  and  Haskers  fix  it  so  that 
they  throw  us  off  their  trail,  Roger.  You  know 
Mr.  Dillon  said  they  could  branch  off  at  Talpoll 
Crossing.  That  is  where  a  spur  of  the  railroad 
cuts  in,  to  reach  the  mines  on  the  other  side  of  the 
hills — the  railroad  I  suppose  the  Landslide  Mine 
would  have  to  use  in  getting  out  ore." 

The  boys  watched  the  distant  light  for  a  while 
longer,  and  then  descended  to  the  camping  spot. 
The  others  listened  with  interest  to  what  they  had 
to  report. 

"  We'll  be  after  'em  at  sun-up,"  said  Tom  Dil- 
lon. "  An'  now  all  o'  yer  had  better  turn  in  an' 
get  what  rest  you  can." 

This  was  sensible  advice,  and  the  three  youths 
lost  no  time  in  following  it.  They  turned  in 
around  the  fire,  which  was  kept  burning,  so  as  to 
keep  away  any  possible  prowling  beasts.  Tom 
Dillon  was  the  last  to  retire,  he  looking  to  it  that 
all  of  the  horses  were  tethered. 

It  was  just  growing  daylight  when  Dave  awoke 
with  a  start.  Something  had  aroused  him — what 
he  could  not  tell.    He  sat  bolt  upright,  and  at  the 


THE  STOLEN  HORSES  179 

same  moment  the  old  miner,  who  was  beside  him, 
did  the  same. 

"  What's  up?  "  asked  Tom  Dillon,  instinctively 
feeling  for  the  pistol  he  carried. 

"  Our  horses !  "  cried  Dave.  "  They  are  run- 
ning back  on  the  trail!  " 

"  Somebody  is  stealin'  'em!  "  roared  Tom  Dil- 
lon, and  was  on  his  feet  on  the  instant. 

By  this  time  the  noise  had  awakened  Phil  and 
Roger,  and  all  three  boys  followed  the  old  miner 
in  arising.  In  the  gray  light  of  the  morning  they 
could  see  that  their  four  horses  were  moving 
along  the  back  trail  on  a  gallop.  A  single  man 
seemed  to  be  in  charge  of  them,  on  a  steed  of  his 
own. 

"  Halt!  "  yelled  Tom  Dillon.  "  Halt,  or  I'll 
fire  on  you!  "    And  he  raised  his  pistol. 

At  this  sharp  command  the  man  with  the 
horses  turned  slightly  to  look  back.  He  crouched 
low,  and  wore  a  sombrero  pulled  down  well  over 
his  face.  On  the  instant  he  rode  to  the  front  of 
the  galloping  steeds,  thus  getting  out  of  range  of 
the  old  miner's  weapon. 

"  Come  on,  we  must  get  our  hosses!  "  sang  out 
Tom  Dillon,  and  started  forward  on  the  run. 
Then  he  let  out  a  shrill  whistle,  one  he  knew  was 
used  for  calling  the  animal  he  had  been  riding. 

The  effect  of  the  whistle  was  all  that  could 
have  been  desired.    The  horse  dropped  to  a  walk 


180    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

and  then  turned  back.  And  as  Tom  Dillon  con- 
tinued to  whistle,  the  intelligent  steed  came  closer 
and  closer,  until  the  old  miner  was  able  to  grasp 
it  by  the  halter. 

But  all  this  had  taken  valuable  time,  and  mean- 
while the  other  horses  continued  to  gallop  on,  led 
by  the  man  in  front,  who  was  now  riding  like  the 
wind.  Who  he  was  they  could  not  make  out,  but 
they  strongly  suspected  Sol  Blugg  or  one  of  his 


cronies. 

a  T> 


I'd  shoot  if  them  hosses  wasn't  in  the  way!  " 
cried  Tom  Dillon,  wrathfully. 

"  Can't  you  go  after  them?  "  asked  Dave  and 
Roger,  in  a  breath. 

"  I  can  and  I  will!  "  answered  the  old  miner. 
"Stay  right  here  till  I  get  back!"  And  with 
those  words  he  saddled  his  horse  with  all  speed, 
and  in  less  than  a  minute  later  was  flying  down 
the  back  trail  after  the  stolen  steeds  and  the 
rascal  who  was  making  off  with  them. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


THE   NEWSPAPER   CLEW 


11  Do  you  think  he'll  catch  that  fellow?  " 

It  was  Phil  who  asked  the  question,  as  he  and 
Dave  and  Roger  watched  the  old  miner  disappear 
around  a  bend  of  the  back  trail. 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,"  returned  Dave. 
"  But  if  he  gets  the  horses  back  it  will  be  some- 
thing." 

"  I  should  say  yes!  "  cried  the  senator's  son. 
"  Why,  we  won't  be  able  to  go  on  unless  we  get 
them  back!  "  he  added,  his  face  showing  his 
worry. 

"Listen!"  exclaimed  Roger  a  minute  later. 
"  Somebody  is  shooting!  " 

It  was  true — a  shot  had  sounded  out  on  the 
morning  air.  Soon  it  was  followed  by  another, 
at  a  greater  distance — showing  that  pursued  and 
pursuer  were  drawing  farther  from  the  boys. 

The  boys  walked  slowly  back  to  the  campfire 
and  commenced  to  stir  it  up,  and  then  they  finished 
their  morning  toilet.    Dave  heaved  a  deep  sigh. 

"  I  must  say  I  don't  feel  much  like  eating,"  he 
observed. 

181 


182    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Oh,  we  might  as  well  fix  breakfast,"  came 
from  Phil.  "  It  will  help  to  pass  the  time.  It 
won't  do  any  good  to  just  sit  around." 

Fortunately  their  provisions  were  at  hand,  so 
it  was  an  easy  matter  to  prepare  the  morning 
meal.  Before  eating,  however,  Roger  and  Dave 
climbed  the  tall  rock  behind  the  camp  and  looked 
for  some  sign  of  Tom  Dillon  and  the  man  he  was 
pursuing. 

"  I  can't  see  a  thing,"  announced  Roger,  after 
a  long  look  through  the  field-glasses.  "  Here,  you 
try,"  and  he  handed  the  glasses  to  our  hero. 

For  several  minutes  Dave  surveyed  the  distant 
landscape  in  vain.     Then  he  uttered  a  cry. 

44  I  see  them,  Roger !  There  they  go  !  "  And 
he  pointed  excitedly  with  his  finger. 

At  a  distance  they  could  not  calculate  they  saw 
Tom  Dillon  and  the  rascal  he  was  after,  and  also 
the  flying  horses.  They  were  all  bounding  along 
a  rocky  trail,  the  would-be  horse  thief  well  in  ad- 
vance. Suddenly  they  saw  this  individual  make  a 
turn  and  disappear  around  some  rocks.  The  free 
horses  kept  on,  with  the  old  miner  after  them. 

44  That  rascal  has  gotten  away!"  announced 
Dave.    44  He  has  given  Mr.  Dillon  the  slip." 

44  Dave,  do  you  think  Mr.  Dillon  will  catch  our 
horses?  " 

"  Yes — sooner  or  later.  They  are  bound  to 
stop  running,  to  feed  or  to  drink,  and  then  he'll 


THE  NEWSPAPER  CLEW  183 

round  them  up.  I  guess  all  we  can  do  is  to  go 
down  and  wait  for  him  to  get  back." 

"  But  those  shots!     What  if  he  is  wounded!  " 

"  I  hope  he  isn't,  Roger." 

They  climbed  down  to  the  camp  and  told  Phil 
about  what  they  had  witnessed.  Then  all  ate 
breakfast  slowly,  meanwhile  discussing  the  adven- 
ture from  all  possible  standpoints. 

"  It  was  one  of  the  Blugg  crowd,  I  feel  certain 
of  that,"  said  Dave.  "  Perhaps  it  was  Sol  Blugg 
himself." 

Slowly  the  morning  wore  away.  When  the 
sun  came  up  it  was  very  hot  and  the  youths  were 
glad  enough  to  draw  into  the  shade  of  the  rocks. 
Just  before  noon  all  three  climbed  the  tall  rock 
again,  to  look  not  only  for  Tom  Dillon  and  the 
horses,  but  also  for  Abe  Blower  and  those  with 
him. 

But  not  a  soul  was  in  sight,  nor  did  any  horses 
show  themselves.  At  a  distance  they  made  out 
some  mule  deer  and  several  goats,  but  that  was 
all. 

"  Do  you  think  we  ought  to  walk  along  the 
back  trail?  "  asked  Roger,  when  they  were  getting 
lunch.     "  Mr.  Dillon  may  need  our  services." 

"  I'll  go  if  you  want  me  to,  Roger,"  answered 
our  hero.  "  But  he  was  a  good  distance  away 
when  we  saw  him  through  the  glasses." 

"  Let  us  wait  awhile — until  the  awful  heat  of 


1 84    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

the  midday  sun  is  over,"  suggested  Phil.  "  The 
sunshine  just  now  is  enough  to  give  one  a  sun- 
stroke." 

It  was  a  little  after  three  o'clock  when  the  three 
lads  prepared  to  walk  along  the  back  trail,  on 
the  lookout  for  the  old  miner.  But  just  as  they 
started  Dave  put  up  his  hand. 

"Listen!" 

All  did  so,  and  from  a  distance  heard  the  clatter 
of  horses'  hoofs  on  the  rocky  trail.  Then  came  a 
cheery  call. 

"It's  Mr.  Dillon!"  cried  Roger,  and  let  out 
a  call  in  return,  and  the  others  did  likewise. 

Soon  the  old  miner  appeard  around  a  bend  of 
the  trail.  He  was  seated  on  his  own  steed  and 
driving  the  others  in  front  of  him.  He  looked 
tired  out,  and  the  horses  looked  the  same. 

"Are  you  all  right,  Mr.  Dillon?"  sang  out 
Dave,  as  he  ran  forward  to  stop  the  nearest  horse. 

"  All  right,  boys !  "  was  the  answer.  "  That  is, 
I  will  be  as  soon  as  I've  rested  a  bit.  I've  had 
some  ride,  believe  me!  " 

Roger  and  Phil  helped  Dave  to  secure  the 
free  horses  and  tether  them,  and  our  hero  held 
the  old  miner's  steed  while  he  fairly  tumbled  to 
the  ground.  The  horse  was  in  a  heavy  lather,  and 
Mr.  Dillon  was  covered  with  dust. 

"  You  weren't  shot,  were  you?  "  questioned  the 
senator's  son,  anxiously. 


THE  NEWSPAPER  CLEW  185 

"  No,  although  I  come  putty  nigh  to  it,"  was 
the  answer,  and  the  old  miner  pointed  to  a  hole 
through  the  brim  of  the  hat  he  wore.  "  The 
skunk  fired  twict  at  me!  " 

"  We  heard  two  shots,"  said  Dave.  "  We  were 
afraid  you  might  be  in  trouble.  If  we  had  had 
horses  we  would  have  followed  you." 

"  I  did  better  nor  he  did,"  went  on  the  old 
miner,  with  a  satisfied  ring  in  his  voice.  "  I 
plugged  him  in  the  arm." 

"  You  did !  "  exclaimed  Phil.  "  We  heard  only 
two  shots!  " 

"  I  fired  later  on,  after  he  left  the  trail.  He  was 
just  gittin'  ready  to  aim  his  gun  ag'in  when  I 
caught  him.  His  arm  went  down  like  lead,  an' 
the  gun  dropped  to  the  ground;  so  I  know  I 
winged  him.  He  didn't  shoot  no  more,  only  got 
into  the  timber  quick  as  he  could.  Then  I  rounded 
up  the  hosses  an'  started  back." 

"  Who  was  it,  do  you  know?  "  questioned  Dave. 

"  It  was  Ham  Staver.  I  suppose  Sol  Blugg 
and  Larry  Jaley  sent  him  ahead  to  steal  the 
hosses.  They  thought  it  would  be  easy,  with  us 
asleep." 

"  It  came  pretty  near  being  so,"  answered 
Dave,  gravely. 

Tom  Dillon  was  glad  enough  to  rest,  and  to 
partake  of  the  hearty  meal  the  boys  prepared  for 
him.     The  horses  were  cared  for,  and  the  boys 


186    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

were  pleased  to  learn  that  they  had  not  suffered 
through  the  wild  run  along  the  rocky  trail. 

"  If  that  Staver  shows  himself  around  Butte 
I'll  settle  accounts  with  him,"  said  the  old  miner, 
while  eating.  "  But  I  reckon  he'll  stay  away  for 
a  while." 

After  an  hour's  rest  the  old  miner  announced 
that  he  was  ready  to  go  forward  once  more.  The 
sun  was  now  well  in  the  west,  and  it  was  not  near 
so  hot  as  it  had  been  in  the  middle  of  the  day. 

"  I  wish  we  could  catch  up  to  the  Blower  party 
by  to-night,"  said  Roger,  earnestly.  "  Mr.  Dil- 
lon, do  you  think  we  can  do  it?  " 

"  We  can  try,  lad.  But  you  must  remember, 
we'll  have  to  favor  the  hosses  a  leetle.  They  have 
had  a  mighty  hard  run  on't." 

"  I  know.  Well,  don't  go  any  further  than 
you  deem  wise." 

For  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  the  trail  was 
comparatively  good.  But  then  they  came  to  an 
uneven  locality,  filled  with  dangerous  holes  and 
pitfalls. 

"Careful  here,  boys!"  cried  Tom  Dillon. 
"  We  don't  want  none  o'  the  hosses  to  break  a 

leg." 

He  was  in  the  lead,  and  under  his  guidance  they 
advanced  slowly.  At  the  top  of  a  short  rise  of 
ground  he  came  to  a  halt. 

"  Here  is  where  part  o'  that  landslide  occurred," 


THE  NEWSPAPER  CLEW  187 

he  announced,  pointing  with  his  hand.  "  I  think, 
myself  it  was  somethin'  of  an  earthquake,  al- 
though the  scientific  sharps  say  not.  But  if  it 
wasn't  an  earthquake  it  was  mighty  queer  that  it 
hit  this  spot  and  the  other  at  the  same  time — 
both  bein'  miles  apart." 

"  Perhaps  the  shock  of  the  falling  rocks  at  one 
place  shook  the  other,"  suggested  Dave. 

"  Perhaps,  lad.  It's  a  mystery — an'  I  suppose 
it  will  remain  a  mystery.  We  know  some  things 
about  Nater,  but  there's  others  she  keeps  putty  well 
hid." 

They  went  down  on  the  other  side  of  the 
rise,  and  then  commenced  to  mount  an  even  larger 
hill — the  last  but  one,  so  the  old  miner  told  the 
boys.  Far  in  the  distance  they  could  make  out 
the  railroad  tracks,  winding  along  through  the 
mountains.  The  sun  was  setting,  and  the  western 
sky  was  aflame  with  varied  colors  of  most  gor- 
geous hues. 

"  What  a  beautiful  sunset!  "  murmured  Dave. 

Soon  the  gloom  of  evening  commenced  to  settle 
about  them.  All  had  their  eyes  ahead,  but  so 
far  they  had  seen  no  trace  of  the  Blower  party. 

"  Wait  a  minute!  "  cried  Dave,  presently.  He 
had  seen  something  white  fluttering  among  the 
rocks  on  the  side  of  the  trail. 

"  What  do  you  see?  "  asked  Phil. 

"  A  newspaper." 


1 88    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Oh,  let  it  go,  Dave.  We  have  all  the  old 
newspapers  we  want." 

"  I  want  to  see  how  recent  it  is,"  was  our  hero's 
reply. 

He  got  down,  walked  to  where  the  paper  rested 
in  a  crevice,  and  drew  it  forth. 

"  It's  a  copy  of  a  mining  journal,"  he  an- 
nounced, as  he  looked  the  sheet  over.  "  The  issue 
for  last  week,"  he  added,  gazing  at  the  date. 
"  It's  full  of  grease,  too, — that's  why  they  threw 
it  away." 

"  Do  you  suppose  it  belonged  to  Abe  Blower?  " 
questioned  Roger,  coming  up. 

"  It  did!  "  cried  Dave.  He  had  turned  to  the 
front  page  of  the  paper.  "  See,  here  is  Abe 
Blower's  name  and  address,  stamped  on  for  mail- 
ing purposes.  He  got  it  through  the  mail  just 
before  he  left  and  took  it  along  to  wrap  something 
in." 

"  Then  that  proves  we  are  on  the  right  trail!  " 
cried  Roger,  joyfully.  "  I  wonder  how  long  ago 
it  was  when  he  threw  the  paper  away?  " 

"  I'm  not  detective  enough  to  tell  you  that, 
Roger,"  answered  Dave,  with  a  grin.  "  But  it's 
something  to  know  we  are  on  the  right  trail. 
They  might  have  taken  to  that  cross  trail,  you 
know.     We'll  catch  up  to  them  sooner  or  later." 

Once  more  our  friends  went  forward,  this  time 
along  the  very  edge  of  the  new  ridge  that  had 


THE  NEWSPAPER  CLEW  189 

shown  itself  after  the  great  landslide.  They  had 
to  advance  with  caution,  for  loose  stones  were 
numerous  and  so  were  dangerous  holes. 

"  We  can't  go  much  further  to-night,"  an- 
nounced Tom  Dillon,  presently.  "  This  trail  ain't 
safe  in  the  dark." 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Dillon,  we'll  stop  when  you 
say  so,"  returned  Roger,  with  a  bit  of  a  sigh. 
"  How  much  further  to  where  the  Landslide 
Mine  was  located?  " 

"Not  over  two  miles,  as  the  crows  fly,  lad; 
but  four  to  five  miles  by  the  trail." 

They  went  into  camp  in  the  very  midst  of  the 
rocks.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  there  was  water 
there,  coming  from  a  tiny  spring  under  a  huge 
boulder.  It  had  a  somewhat  unpleasant  odor, 
and  the  horses  at  first  refused  it,  but  the  old  miner 
said  it  was  drinkable. 

"  Only  you  don't  want  to  live  on  it  all  the  year 
around,"  he  added,  with  a  grin.  "  A  doctor  onct 
tole  me  if  you  did  that  you  might  turn  into 
stone !  " 

"  I  know  what  I  am  going  to  do,  as  soon  as  it 
gets  dark  enough,"  said  Dave  to  his  chums,  while 
they  were  preparing  supper. 

"What?"  asked  the  other  boys. 

"  I  am  going  to  look  for  the  campfire  of  that 
crowd  ahead." 

"  Of  course  !  "  cried  Roger.     "  And,  Dave,  if 


i go    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

it  isn't  too  far  off,  maybe  we  can  walk  to  it!  "  he 
added,  quickly. 

"  So  I  was  thinking." 

Eagerly  the  three  boys  waited  for  the  darkness 
of  night  to  fall,  in  the  meanwhile  getting  supper 
and  tidying  up  the  camp.  Then  they  climbed  to 
the  top  of  the  highest  rock  that  was  at  hand  and 
looked  around  them. 

"  I  see  a  fire !  "  cried  Dave,  and  pointed  it  out. 

"  Yes,  and  it  looks  to  be  less  than  a  mile 
away!  "  returned  Roger. 

"  Let's  walk  to  it!  "  put  in  Phil. 

And  on  this  plan  the  three  chums  quickly 
agreed. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE    EXPOSURE 


When  Tom  Dillon  heard  about  the  light  that 
had  been  seen  and  the  determination  to  walk  to  it, 
he  wanted  to  know  how  far  off  it  was. 

"  If  it's  that  close  we  had  better  all  go,"  he 
announced,  after  being  told.  "  If  it's  Abe  Blow- 
er's camp  it  must  be  in  a  good  spot,  for  Abe 
knows  this  locality  as  good  as  I  do  and  maybe 
better.  A  mile  isn't  so  far.  We  can  walk  an' 
lead  the  hosses,  if  we  have  to." 

Less  than  quarter  of  an  hour  later  found 
them  on  the  way.  The  old  miner  was  in  front, 
with  Roger  beside  him,  and  Dave  and  Phil  bring- 
ing up  the  rear.  All  were  on  foot,  for  they  had  to 
pick  their  way  in  the  darkness,  which  seemed  more 
intense  than  it  had  been  on  previous  nights. 

"  The  sky  is  overcast,"  observed  Dave,  as  they 
trudged  along  the  uncertain,  rocky  trail.  "  Looks 
to  me  like  rain." 

"  We'll  catch  it  sooner  or  later,"  announced 
Tom  Dillon.  "  And  maybe  we'll  have  a  big  blow 
in  the  bargain." 

191 


192    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Then  it  blows  up  here?  "  queried  Roger. 

"Does  it?  I  should  say  yes,  lad!  I've  been 
in  such  a  wind  up  here  one  could  hardly  keep  his 
feet.  And  the  rain  comes  so  thick  an'  fast  it  nigh 
drowns  you!  " 

As  they  advanced,  they  kept  their  eyes  on  the 
alert  for  the  distant  campfire.  Twice  they  found 
and  lost  it,  but,  as  they  came  around  another  spur 
of  rocks  they  beheld  it  quite  plainly  and  saw 
several  figures  moving  around  it. 

"Wait!"  called  Dave,  to  the  others.  "If 
that  is  Abe  Blower's  camp,  and  Merwell  and 
Haskers  are  with  him,  I've  got  an  idea." 

"What  is  that?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  Why  not  let  Mr.  Dillon  go  ahead  alone,  and 
find  out  what  Merwell  and  Haskers  have  to  say? 
We  can  sneak  up  in  the  darkness  and  show  our- 
selves later." 

This  was  considered  a  good  plan,  and,  after  a 
short  discussion,  it  was  adopted.  The  old  miner 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  onward,  the  three 
boys  coming  after  him  on  foot  and  keeping  in  the 
shadow  of  the  rocks  to  one  side  of  the  uneven 
trail. 

The  clatter  of  the  horse's  hoofs  on  the  rocks 
soon  attracted  the  attention  of  those  around  the 
distant  campfire.  The  three  persons  came  for- 
ward, to  see  who  was  coming. 

"Why,  if  it  ain't  Tom  Dillon,  of  all  men!" 


THE  EXPOSURE  193 

cried  one  of  the  three,  and  his  face,  that  had 
shown  anxiety,  broke  into  a  smile.  "  How  are 
you,  Tom,  and  what  brings  you  up  here?  " 

"  I  came  to  find  you,  Abe,"  was  the  old  miner's 
reply.  "  They  told  me  down  in  Butte  you  were 
off  to  have  another  search  for  the  lost  Landslide 
Mine." 

"  Saw  Kate  Carmody,  I  reckon,"  went  on 
Abe  Blower.  "  Yes,  I'm  goin'  on  another  hunt 
fer  the  mine — account  o'  these  two  gents,"  and 
Abe  Blower  pointed  to  his  companions. 

"  Who  is  this  man?  "  asked  one  of  the  others, 
who  had  come  from  the  campfire. 

"  This  is  Tom  Dillon,  one  o'  the  best  old-time 
miners  and  prospectors  in  Montany,"  answered 
Abe  Blower,  with  a  broad  smile.  "  He  used  to 
know  yer  uncle  well,"  he  added. 

"  Is  that  so?  Then — er — perhaps  he  can  help 
us  to  locate  the  lost  mine." 

"  Mebbe — if  he  wants  to  spare  the  time.  Ye 
see,  Tom  ain't  so  poor  as  I  be,"  explained  Abe 
Blower.  "  He  made  his  pile  an'  saved  it,  he  did," 
he  added,  admiringly. 

"Who  are  your  companions,  Abe?"  asked 
Tom  Dillon,  rather  abruptly. 

"  Oh,  sure,  excuse  me  fer  not  introducin'  you," 
cried  the  other  miner.  "  This  here  is  Mr. 
Morr,  son  o'  Senator  Morr  an'  nevvy  of 
Maurice  Harrison,  an'  this  is  his  friend,  Prefesser 


194    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Haskers,  o'  the  colledge  Morr  ust  to  go  to. 
Gents,  this  is  Mr.  Thomas  Dillon,  a  miner  an' 
prospector,  an'  one  o'  the  richest  an'  best  men  in 
Butte." 

"Ah,  glad  to  know  you,  sir!  "  exclaimed  Job 
Haskers,  and  held  out  his  thin  hand.  But,  some- 
how, Tom  Dillon  did  not  seem  to  see  it  and  he 
merely  bowed. 

"  And  you  are  Senator  Morr's  son,  eh?  "  said 
the  old  miner,  turning  to  Link  Merwell. 

"  I  am,"  was  the  bold  answer,  but  when  the 
old  miner  looked  him  squarely  in  the  eyes,  Mer- 
well had  to  turn  his  gaze  away. 

"  I  understood  that  Maurice  Harrison,  when 
he  died,  willed  the  Landslide  Mine  to  your 
family,"  went  on  Tom  Dillon. 

"  He  did,  and  I  and  my  friend  are  here  to  look 
for  it,"  answered  Link  Merwell. 

"Think  you'll  find  it?" 

"  Blower  here  says  he  will  do  what  he  can  to 
discover  it,"  broke  in  Job  Haskers.  "  He  has  a 
great  reputation  as  a  prospector." 

"  I  will  surely  do  my  best  for  Maurice  Har- 
rison's nevvy,"  said  Abe  Blower.  "  Maurice 
Harrison  was  mighty  good  to  me,  an'  I  ain't  the 
one  to  forgit  that." 

"Have  you  a  brother?"  asked  Tom  Dillon, 
turning  again  to  Merwell. 

"A  brother?     Why — er — no,"   answered  the 


THE  EXPOSURE  195 

imposter,  and  then  turned  suddenly  pale.  "  Why 
— er — do  you  ask  that  question?  "  he  faltered. 

"  I  met  another  young  fellow  in  Butte  named 
Morr." 

"  I— I  don't  know  him." 

"  He  was  with  two  other  young  fellows  named 
Porter  and  Lawrence." 

At  this  unexpected  announcement  Link  Mer- 
well's  face  grew  paler  than  ever.  Job  Haskers, 
too,  showed  that  he  was  much  disturbed. 

"  Did  this — this  Morr  say  where  he  was  from, 
or  where  he  was  going? "  asked  the  former 
teacher  of  Oak  Hall. 

"  Oh,  the  whole  crowd  was  from  the  East.  I 
reckon  they  are  coming  up  here,"  answered  Tom 
Dillon,  dryly.  "  They  want  to  find  you,  Abe,"  he 
added,  with  a  wink  at  the  other  miner. 

"Me?    Whatfer?" 

"  They  want  you  to  locate  this  same  Landslide 
Mine  for  them." 

"The  same  mine?  Say,  Tom,  what  are  you 
drivin'  at?  "  demanded  Abe  Blower,  in  astonish- 
ment. 

"  What  I'm  drivin'  at  is  just  this,  Abe," 
answered  Tom  Dillon,  and  his  voice  grew  sud- 
denly stern.  "  This  ain't  Roger  Morr  at  all. 
The  real  fellow  you  ain't  met  yet.  This  chap  is 
a  fraud!" 

"  Say — look  here "  began  Link  Merwell. 


ig6    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Is  the — er — the  other  Morr — er — coming 
here?"  faltered  Job  Haskers. 

"  I  am  not  coming — I  am  here !  "  cried  a  voice, 
and  Roger  stepped  from  the  shadow  of  a  near-by 
rock. 

The  senator's  son  faced  Link  Merwell  and  Job 
Haskers,  and  both  stared  at  him  as  if  they  were 
looking  at  a  ghost,  and  backed  away. 

"  Roger  Morr!  "  faltered  Merwell. 

"  Yes,  Link.  You  didn't  expect  I'd  follow  you 
so  soon,  did  you?"  cried  Roger.  "Now,  I've 
got  a  nice  account  to  settle  with  you.  I  want 
to  know  what  you  did  with  my  suit-case,  and  I 
want  to  know  what  you  mean  by  impersonating 
me." 

"  I — I "  began  Merwell,  and  then  stopped, 

not  knowing  how  to  proceed. 

"  This  is — er — very  unfortunate,"  murmured 
Job  Haskers.  He  would  have  retired  had  there 
been  any  place  to  retire  to,  which  there  was  not. 

"Say,  are  you  Roger  Morr?"  gasped  Abe 
Blower,  gazing  fixedly  at  the  senator's  son. 

"  I  am.    And  you  are  Abe  Blower?  " 

"  I  sure  am.    But  see  here " 

"  We'll  explain  everything  in  a  few  minutes, 
Mr.  Blower.  These  fellows  are  swindlers  !  They 
robbed  me  of  my  suit-case  and  then  got  ahead  of 
me,  and  that  fellow  impersonated  me,"  and  Roger 
pointed  to  Merwell.     "  We  hired  Mr.  Dillon  to 


THE  EXPOSURE  197 

bring  us  to  you — or  at  least  he  offered  to  come. 
He  knows  that  I  am  the  real  Roger  Morr,  and 
Maurice  Harrison  was  my  mother's  brother." 

"Well,  I  never!  But  wot  did  they  think  to 
gain " 

"  They  wanted  to  locate  the  lost  mine  before 
I  got  here,  that  was  their  game.  What  they  in- 
tended to  do  later  I  don't  know,  but  probably 
Job  Haskers  was  going  to  cook  up  some  deal 
whereby  our  family  could  be  kept  out  of  the 
property.    He  is  a  rascal " 

"  See   here,   Morr,    I   won't — er — have   you — 

ahem! — talk  about  me  in  this "   commenced 

the  former  teacher. 

"  But  I  will  talk  about  you !  "  interrupted 
Roger.  "  You  are  a  rascal,  almost  as  bad  as 
Merwell  here,  and  you  know  it." 

"  Yes,  and  we  know  it,  don't  we,  Phil?  "  cried 
another  voice,  and  Dave  and  Phil  stepped  into 
view. 

"  Porter — and  Lawrence!  "  faltered  the  former 
teacher  of  Oak  Hall,  and  he  looked  almost  ready 

to  drop.     "  I — I "     He  did  not  know  how  to 

finish. 

"  Say,  I  want  to  git  the  straight  o'  this!  "  burst 
out  Abe  Blower. 

"  This  young  man  is  givin'  it  to  you  straight, 
Abe,"  replied  Tom  Dillon,  pointing  to  Roger. 
"  And  these  are  his  friends — all  true  blue  to  the 


198    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

core.  These  other  fellers  are  first-class  swindlers. 
They  took  you  in  good  an'  proper." 

"  If  they  did,  they  shall  suffer  fer  it!  "  roared 
the  other  miner.  "  Do  you  know,  I  kinder  sus- 
pected somethin'  was  wrong.  They  didn't  act  as 
open  as  honest  folks  should.  An'  they  was  in  an 
all-fired  hurry  to  git  away  from  Butte  and  from 
Black  Cat  Camp." 

"  Because  they  knew  we  were  following  them," 
explained  Dave.  "  Link,  I  guess  you  had  better 
admit  that  the  game  is  up,"  he  went  on,  turning 
to  his  former  schoolmate. 

"  Is  it  up?  "  sneered  Link  Merwell.  "  Well,  I 
don't  know,  Dave  Porter.  We  have  as  much  right 
to  hunt  for  that  lost  mine  as  you  have." 

"  Oh,  so  that's  the  game,  eh?  "  burst  out  Roger. 

"  You  had  no  right  to  impersonate  Roger," 
asserted  our  hero.  "  He  can  have  you  arrested 
for  that." 

"  Huh,  that  was — er — only  done  for — er — 
fun,"  faltered  Link  Merwell.  "  And  as  for  your 
old  suit-case,  it's  on  check  at  the  Glenrose  Hotel 
in  Butte,  and  there's  the  check  for  it,"  and  he 
drew  the  brass  disc  from  his  pocket  and  passed  it 
over  to  the  senator's  son. 

"  Why  did  you  take  my  suit-case?  " 

"  Oh,  for  fun." 

"  He  took  it  thinking  he  was  going  to  get  your 
map!  "  cried  Dave.     "  Link,  what  makes  you  act 


THE  EXPOSURE  199 

as  you  do?"  went  on  our  hero,  earnestly. 
"  When  I  helped  you  on  Cave  Island  you  promised 
that  you  were  going  to  reform." 

"  What's  the  use  of  reforming?  "  burst  out  the 
other.  "  Everybody  in  this  world  is  down  on 
me !  I  don't  dare  to  show  my  face  wherever  I 
am  known !  There  is  a  warrant  out  for  my  ar- 
rest!" And  Link  Merwell's  face  showed  his 
bitterness. 

While  the  boys  were  talking  Abe  Blower  and 
Tom  Dillon  had  been  conversing  together.  Job 
Haskers  was  left  in  the  cold,  and  he  looked 
much  disturbed.  Evidently  he  was  thinking  how 
foolish  he  had  been  to  come  to  Montana  with 
Merwell. 

"  So  this  is  the  trick  yer  played  on  me,  consarn 
ye !  "  cried  Abe  Blower,  coming  from  the  other 
miner  to  Haskers.  "  I've  a  good  mind  to  take  it 
out  of  yer  hide!  "  And  he  shook  his  fist  in  the 
former  teacher's  face. 

"Don't  you  touch  me — don't  you  dare!" 
howled  Job  Haskers,  in  new  alarm,  and  he  backed 
away  so  hastily  that  he  tripped  over  some  of  the 
camp  outfit  and  went  flat  on  his  back. 

The  accident  was  such  a  comical  one  that  Dave 
and  his  chums  laughed  outright,  and  Tom  Dillon 
and  Abe  Blower  grinned  broadly.  Link  Merwell 
reached  down  and  assisted  the  former  teacher  to 
his  feet.     Job  Haskers's  face  was  sourness  itself. 


aoo    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Stop  that!  Don't  you  dare  to  laugh  at  me!  " 
he  roared.     "  Don't  you  dare!  " 

"  We'll  laugh  as  much  as  we  please,"  answered 
Dave,  boldly. 

"  I — I  guess  we  had  better  get  out  of  here," 
whispered  Link  Merwell,  nervously.  "  They — 
they  might  take  it  into  their  heads  to  harm  us." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  Job  Haskers.  "  All 
right,  I — I  am  ready  to  go.  But  how  are  we  to 
find  our  way  back  to  the  town?  "  he  asked,  help- 
lessly. 

"We'll  have  to  follow  the  back  trail," 
answered  Link  Merwell.  Being  used  to  ranch 
life,  this  being  in  the  open  did  not  daunt  him  as  it 
did  the  former  teacher.  "  Come  on,  let  us  get  our 
horses  and  be  off !  "the  youth  added.  "  It  is  get- 
ting too  hot  for  us  here  I  " 


CHAPTER  XXI 


ON  THE  BACK  TRAIL 


"  Just  you  two  wait  a  minute !  " 

It  was  Tom  Dillon  who  uttered  the  words,  as 
he  saw  Link  Merwell  and  Job  Haskers  turn  to 
where  their  horses  were  tethered. 

"  You  bet  they'll  wait!  "  exploded  Abe  Blower, 
wrathfully.  He  stepped  forward  and  seized  Mer- 
well by  the  arm.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  playing 
such  a  trick  as  this  on  me?  " 

"  Le — let  go  of  me!  "  cried  the  youth,  in  fear. 
"  Let  go.  I — I — didn't  I  say  it  was  only  done  in 
fun?" 

"Fun?  You  won't  think  it's  fun  when  I  git 
through  with  you !  " 

"I — ahem!  I  think  this  whole  matter  can  be 
settled  amicably,"  put  in  Job  Haskers,  with  an 
effort.  "  I  am  satisfied  now  that  we  made  a — > 
er — a  mistake.  But,  as  Merwell  states,  it  was  all 
done  in  a — er — a  spirit  of  fun." 

"  And  now  you  want  to  sneak  off — without  even 
paying  me  for  my  trouble !  "  cried  Abe  Blower. 

"  You  said  you'd  come  with  me  for  nothing," 

201 


202    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

returned  Link  Merwell,  and  his  voice  had  almost 
a  whine  in  it. 

"  So  I  did,  thinkin'  you  was  Maurice  Harrison's 
nevvy.  If  I  had  known  you  was  an  outsider  I 
wouldn't  have  come  at  all.  I've  got  my  own 
affairs  to  'tend  to.  But  bein'  as  I  did  come,  you're 
goin'  to  pay  me  for  my  time  and  trouble,"  went  on 
the  miner,  sharply. 

"Don't  you  want  'em  arrested,  Abe?"  put 
in  Tom  Dillon.  "  As  I  understand  it,  this 
here  Merwell  feller  is  wanted  by  the  police  as 
it  is." 

"  Oh,  don't  arrest  me !  Please  don't  do  that  1  " 
cried  Link  Merwell.  He  turned  to  Dave  and  his 
chums.  "  Let  me  go,  won't  you?  I — I  didn't  do 
anything.  I  didn't  take  a  thing  out  of  your  suit- 
case," he  added,  to  Roger. 

His  manner  was  so  humble  and  he  seemed  so 
full  of  terror,  that  the  boys  could  not  help  feeling 
sorry  for  him,  even  though  they  realized  that  he 
was  a  criminal  and  should  be  in  the  hands  of  the 
law. 

"  What  do  you  think  we  ought  to  do,  Dave?  " 
whispered  the  senator's  son,  pulling  our  hero  to 
one  side. 

"  That  is  up  to  you,  Roger." 

"  If  we  make  them  prisoners  what  can  we  do 
with  them?  They  will  only  bother  us  in  the 
search  for  the  lost  mine." 


ON  THE  BACK  TRAIL  203 

"  I  think  I'd  make  them  pay  Abe  Blower  for 
his  trouble  and  then  let  them  go." 

"  Yes,  but  they  have  got  to  promise  not  to 
bother  us  in  the  future,"  put  in  Phil,  who  had 
followed  Dave  and  Roger  to  a  distance. 

"  They'll  promise  that,  Phil.  But  you  know 
what  their  promises  are  worth,"  answered  our 
hero. 

A  hot  war  of  words  followed,  Abe  Blower 
and  Tom  Dillon  telling  the  two  rascals  just  what 
they  thought  of  their  conduct.  Link  Merwell  was 
badly  scared,  and  the  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall 
looked  very  much  disturbed. 

11  Well,  I'll  let  you  go,  if  the  young  gents  say 
so,"  said  Abe  Blower,  finally.  "  But  you  have 
got  to  pay  me  fer  my  services  in  bringin'  you  out 
here,  an'  you've  got  to  put  up  fer  them  hosses 
you're  to  ride,  so  I'll  know  they'll  git  back  to  town 
all  right." 

"  We'll  return  the  horses,  never  fear,"  said 
Link  Merwell. 

"  Maybe — but  I  won't  take  no  chances.  You 
put  up  the  price  o'  them,  an'  I'll  give  yer  a  written 
order  fer  your  money,  to  be  paid  to  you  by  Hank 
Davis,  when  he  gits  the  hosses,"  said  Abe  Blower. 

More  words  followed,  but  the  miner  was 
obdurate,  and  in  the  end  Link  Merwell  and  Job 
Haskers  had  to  put  up  nearly  all  the  cash  they 
had  with  them.    Then  they  were  allowed  to  take 


204    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

the  two  horses  they  had  ridden  and  a  small  portion 
of  the  camping  outfit — just  enough  to  see  them 
safely  back  to  the  nearest  town. 

"  Now  remember,  Link,"  said  Dave,  on  part- 
ing with  the  youth,  "  you  have  promised  to  leave 
us  alone  in  the  future.  See  that  you  keep  that 
promise." 

"  If  you  don't,  we'll  be  down  on  you  like  a  ton 
of  bricks,"  added  Phil. 

11 1  won't  bother  you  again,"  said  Link  Mer- 
well,  with  downcast  eyes.  "  I — I  guess  I  was  a 
fool  to  go  into  this." 

Job  Haskers  said  little.  But  when  he  looked 
at  our  friends  it  was  with  an  expression  as  if  he 
wanted  to  eat  them  up.  He  was  in  a  great  rage, 
but  he  did  not  dare  to  show  it.  In  utter  silence 
he  and  Merwell  mounted  their  steeds  and  rode  out 
of  the  camp,  on  the  back  trail.  Not  once  did  they 
look  behind.  Soon  the  gloom  of  the  night  swal- 
lowed them  up. 

11  A  c  good  riddance  to  bad  rubbish,'  "  quoted 
Phil.    "  My,  what  a  fool  Link  is!  " 

"  And  Haskers  is  just  as  bad,"  said  Roger. 

"  Link  has  the  making  of  a  fine  fellow  in  him," 
said  Dave,  with  a  sigh.  "  But  he  evidently  pre- 
fers to  be  bad  rather  than  good." 

"  Thet's  the  way  with  some  fellers,"  remarked 
Abe  Blower.  "  I've  seen  it  in  minin'  camps  many 
times.     A  feller  would  slide  in,  an'  he  could  make 


ON  THE  BACK  TRAIL  205 

money  diggin'  fer  gold.  But  instead  o'  doin' 
it,  he  would  jest  fool  away  his  time  gamblin' 
an'  drinkin'.  It's  awful — the  way  some  folks 
act." 

"  They  won't  have  any  easy  time  of  it,  getting 
back  to  Butte,"  said  Dave.  "  Perhaps  they'll 
meet  that  Sol  Blugg  crowd  on  the  way." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that!  "  cried  Roger.  "Why, 
they  might  side  right  in  with  Blugg!  " 

"  So  they  might,"  added  Phil.  A  case  of  '  birds 
of  a  feather,'  you  know." 

"  And  so  you  are  the  real  Roger  Morr,"  said 
Abe  Blower,  catching  Roger  by  the  shoulder  and 
looking  him  squarely  in  the  eyes.  "  Wall,  I  must 
say  I  like  yer  looks  a  heap  better  nor  I  did  the 
bogus  one !  "    And  he  chuckled,  broadly. 

"  I  am  glad  you  do,  Mr.  Blower.     I " 

"Now,  stop  right  thar,  lad,  stop  right  thar! 
Ef  you're  goin'  to  be  my  friend  call  me  plain 
Blower,  or  Abe." 

"  As  you  will,  Abe.  I'm  real  glad  to  meet  you, 
and  I  am  sure  we  are  going  to  get  along  first- 
rate  together,"  said  Roger,  and  then  the  pair 
shook  hands  once  more. 

"  You  must  tell  me  all  about  yourself,  and  your 
friends,  an'  about  them  two  skunks  as  was  wantin' 
to  git  in  ahead  o'  you." 

"  I'll  do  that  gladly,"  returned  the  senator's 
son.     And  then  all  in  the  camp  gathered  around 


206    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

the  fire,  to  talk  the  situation  over  and  arrange 
their  plans  for  the  morrow. 

In  the  meantime  Link  Merwell  and  Job  Has- 
kers  rode  along  the  rocky  trail  leading  in  the 
direction  of  Black  Cat  Camp.  As  long  as  they 
were  within  hearing  of  those  left  behind  neither 
said  a  word,  but  once  at  a  distance  Job  Haskers 
fairly  exploded. 

"  Now  you  see  what  a  plight  you  have  brought 
us  into !  "  he  snarled.  "  Here  we  are  miles  and 
miles  from  anywhere,  and  with  hardly  a  dollar  in 
our  pockets!  It's  a  shame!  If  I  had  remained 
in  the  East,  selling  mining  stock,  or  something  like 
that,  instead  of  going  on  this  wild-goose 
chase " 

"  I  didn't  know  they  were  so  close  behind  us," 
whined  Link  Merwell.  "  I  thought  we  would  get 
off  the  regular  trail  before  they  came  to  this 
locality." 

"  We  were  off  the  trail — it's  the  campfire  told 
them  where,"  went  on  the  former  teacher.  "  Now, 
what  are  we  going  to  do  when  we  get  back  to 
town,  tell  me  that?" 

"  We'll  get  our  money  for  the  horses  first,"  re- 
plied Link  Merwell.  He  grated  his  teeth.  "  I 
wish  I  could  get  back  at  them !  "  he  cried. 

11  So  do  I,  Merwell.  But  it  can't  be  done — at 
least,  I  am  not  coming  back  to  this  forlorn  district, 
once  I  get  to  town  again.     And  it  looks  danger- 


ON  THE  BACK  TRAIL  207 

ous  to  me,  with  all  these  loose  rocks  ready  to  slide 
down  into  the  valley,"  added  Job  Haskers. 

Full  of  bitterness,  and  trying  to  plan  out  what 
to  do  later  on,  the  pair  continued  on  the  back  trail, 
moving  slowly  and  with  caution.  At  last,  com- 
pletely tired  out,  they  reached  the  spot  where 
Dave  and  his  chums  had  stopped  for  supper.  The 
campfire  still  smoldered  among  some  rocks,  for  in 
such  a  barren  district  it  was  not  necessary  to  be 
careful  for  fear  of  a  conflagration. 

"  We'll  rest  here,"  declared  Job  Haskers,  slid- 
ing from  his  saddle.  He  was  not  used  to  riding 
and  was  so  sore  and  stiff  he  could  hardly  move. 

"  All  right,"  responded  Merwell,  and  alighted 
also.  They  found  the  spring  and  drank  eagerly 
of  the  somewhat  bitter  water.  Then  they  stirred 
up  the  fire  and  proceeded  to  make  themselves  as 
much  at  home  as  possible. 

But  human  nature  can  stand  only  so  much,  and 
soon,  instead  of  talking  over  their  affairs,  each 
sought  forgetfulness  in  slumber.  Exhausted,  they 
slept  soundly  until  the  sun  came  up.  Then,  eat- 
ing a  frugal  breakfast — for  their  stores  were 
scanty — they  continued  on  the  way  in  the  direction 
of  Black  Cat  Camp. 

It  was  less  than  two  hours  later,  when,  coming 
around  a  turn  in  the  trail,  they  came  in  sight  of 
another  camp.  They  found  three  men  seated  in 
the  shadow  of  some  rocks,  for  the  day  was  becom- 


208    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

ing  warm,  all  talking  earnestly.  One  man  had 
his  right  arm  in  a  sling. 

"I  wonder  who  they  are?"  remarked  Link 
Merwell,  as  he  and  his  companion  came  to  a  halt. 

"  Wait,  don't  let  them  see  us  until  you  are  sure 
they  will  be  friendly,"  cautioned  Job  Haskers. 
"  For  all  you  know  they  may  be  some  of  those 
dreaded  road-agents  one  reads  about  in  the  news- 
papers. We  don't  want  to  be  robbed,  or  have  our 
horses  stolen." 

"  They  certainly  look  like  a  hard  crowd,"  whis- 
pered Merwell.  "  But  I  don't  think  you'll  find 
road-agents  here, — not  enough  folks  to  rob." 

The  men  were  talking  earnestly  and  had  not 
noticed  the  approach  of  the  pair.  As  quietly  as 
possible,  Merwell  and  Haskers  drew  to  one  side 
and  dismounted.  Then  the  boy  who  had  spent 
so  much  time  on  his  father's  ranch,  motioned  for 
the  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall  to  follow  him. 

"  We'll  crawl  up  and  listen  to  a  little  of  their 
talk,"  he  whispered.  "  That  will  soon  tell  us  if 
we  can  trust  them.  If  we  can't,  we'll  go  around 
them — although  I  don't  see  any  other  trail  among 
the  rocks." 

Job  Haskers  nodded,  and  slowly  and  cautiously 
the  pair  crawled  over  the  rocks  until  they  gained 
a  position  close  to  the  three  men.  Then  they  set- 
tled back,  to  listen  to  whatever  might  be  said. 

Inside  of  half  an  hour  Link  Merwell  and  Job 


ON  THE  BACK  TRAIL  209 

Haskers  gained  all  the  information  they  desired. 
They  learned  that  the  three  men  were  Sol  Blugg 
and  his  cohorts.  The  wounded  man  was  Staver, 
and  he  had  been  shot  through  the  hand  by  Tom 
Dillon.  He  was  very  angry  and  willing  to  do 
almost  anything  to  square  accounts.  The  men 
were  sure  that  the  Dillon  party  and  the  Blower 
party  were  on  the  trail  of  a  new  find  of  gold  and 
wanted  to  get  in  "  on  the  ground  floor,"  as  they 
expressed  it. 

"  They  can't  do  nuthin'  to  me  about  tryin'  to 
git  the  hosses,"  said  Staver.  "  It's  only  Dillon's 
word  against  mine — an'  you  all  know  I  got  shot 
in  the  hand  by  accident,"  and  he  winked  sug- 
gestively. 

"  Sure,  I  done  that  myself,"  said  Blugg,  and 
laughed.  "  Nobody  took  their  hosses — so  far  as 
we  know." 

"  I  guess  the  new  strike  o'  gold  must  be  near  the 
old  Landslide  Mine,"  said  Larry  Jaley.  "  May- 
be it's  the  old  mine  itself." 

"  We'll  soon  know,  if  we  watch  'em  close 
enough,"  returned  Sol  Blugg.  And  then  they 
continued  to  talk,  while  Staver  dressed  his 
wounded  hand,  which,  fortunately  for  him,  was 
not  very  badly  hurt. 

Link  Merwell  caught  Job  Haskers  by  the  arm 
and  pulled  him  back. 

"I've  got  an   idea!"  he  whispered,   his  eyes 


210    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

brightening  with  sudden  expectation.  "  Why  can't 
we  join  these  men  and  go  after  the  Morr  crowd 
with  them?  It  will  give  us  a  chance  to  get  back 
at  those  fellows." 

"  No,  I've  had  enough  of  this  business,"  replied 
the  former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall.  "  I  am  going 
back  to  town  as  fast  as  I  can,  and  then  to  the 
East." 

"  Yes,  but "  began  Link,  when  he  stopped 

short.  Haskers's  foot  had  shoved  a  round  stone 
and  now  this  rattled  over  the  rocks,  creating  con- 
siderable noise. 

"  Who's  that!  "  roared  Sol  Blugg,  and  leaped  to 
his  feet,  drawing  his  pistol  as  he  did  so.  "  Ho, 
look  there!  Hands  up,  or  I'll  fire!"  he  yelled, 
as  he  discovered  those  who  had  been  in  hiding. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

DAVE  AND  THE   MOUNTAIN   LION 

"  Don't  fire,  I  beg  of  you !  We — we  are 
friends !  Don't  fire !  Please  put  down  that  pis- 
tol, do !  " 

It  was  Job  Haskers  who  called  out  in  this 
fashion,  as  he  raised  his  hands  high  in  the  air. 
He  was  seized  with  a  chill,  and  shook  from  head 
to  foot. 

Link  Merwell  was  also  agitated,  and  for  the 
instant  tried  to  back  away.  Perhaps,  now  that 
Sol  Blugg  had  spoken  so  harshly,  the  youth  real- 
ized that  he  was  not  such  a  kind-hearted  fellow 
as  Abe  Blower  had  proved  to  be. 

"  Come  out  here,  where  we  can  see  you!  "  cried 
Blugg.     "Larry,  got  yer  pistol?" 

"  I  sure  have,"  responded  Larry  Jaley,  with  a 
wicked  grin. 

"  There  is  no  need  to  do  any  shooting,"  said 
Link  Merwell. 

"  You  were  spyin'  on  us,"  growled  Staver. 

"Who  are  you?  Come  here  and  give  an 
account  o'  yourselves,"  ordered  Sol  Blugg. 

211 


212    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

There  was  no  help  for  it  now,  and,  rather  awk- 
wardly, with  their  hands  still  upraised,  Job  Has- 
kers  and  Link  Merwell  stumbled  over  the  rocks  to 
where  the  three  men  had  been  resting  and  talking. 

"Humph,  a  tenderfoot!  "  muttered  the  leader 
of  the  trio,  as  he  inspected  the  former  teacher  of 
Oak  Hall.  "  I  don't  reckon  he's  goin'  to  do  us 
any  harm."  He  turned  to  Merwell.  "  Who  are 
you, sonny?  " 

Link  told  him  and  also  mentioned  Haskers's 
name.  "  I  was  just  coming  forward  to  introduce 
myself,"  he  added. 

"  How  kind,"  sneered  Larry  Jaley,  with  a  mock 
bow. 

"  I  was.  We  stepped  behind  the  rocks  to  find 
out  what  sort  of  men  you  were.  And  I  guess  you 
are  just  our  kind,"  added  Merwell,  with  a  sickly 
grin. 

"How  so?"  demanded  Sol  Blugg,  sharply. 
"  No  game,  now." 

"  I'll  give  it  to  you  straight,"  answered  Link 
Merwell.  "  Can  I  put  down  my  hands?  It's 
not  comfortable  to  talk  with  them  up  in  the  air." 

"  All  right, — and  fire  away,"  answered  the 
leader  of  the  men. 

"  We  overheard  what  you  said  about  the  Abe 
Blower  party  and  the  Tom  Dillon  party,"  pursued 
Merwell.  "  We  were  with  Abe  Blower,  but  the 
other  crowd  came  up  and  made  it  hot  for  us,  and 


DAVE  AND  THE  MOUNTAIN  LION       213 

we  got  out.  You  said  something  about  their  be- 
ing here  to  locate  gold.  So  they  are,  and  now 
that  we  are  on  the  outs  with  those  other  people, 
if  you  say  the  word,  we'll  go  in  with  you.  Isn't 
that  right,  Haskers?"  asked  Link,  coolly. 

"  I — I  presume  so,"  answered  the  former 
teacher,  nervously.  He  had  dropped  his  hands, 
but  Sol  Blugg  still  had  his  weapon  handy,  and  the 
sight  of  it  was  far  from  comforting. 

"  Had  a  row,  did  ye?  "  asked  Blugg,  curiously. 

"  Yes.  You  see,  Blower  wanted  to  run  things 
to  suit  himself  and  we — er — we  didn't  see  things 
quite  that  way.  Then  Dillon  came  up  with  his 
crowd,  and  they  made  matters  worse  than  ever. 
We  had  some  information  that  we  didn't  want  the 
others  to  have,  so  we  got  out,"  went  on  Link  Mer- 
well,  glibly.  He  was  now  recovering  from  his 
fright. 

"  Got  information,  have  ye? "  cried  Larry 
Jaley.     "  About  wot  fer  instance?  " 

"  About  what  those  fellows  are  after,"  answered 
Merwell.  "Isn't  that  so?"  he  asked,  of  Has- 
kers. 

"  It  is,"  answered  the  former  teacher. 

"Is  it  another  gold  strike?"  burst  out  Sol 
Blugg,  eagerly. 

"  Not  exactly  a  strike,"  answered  Merwell. 
"  All  of  us  came  out  to  relocate  the  lost  Land- 
slide Mine." 


214    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  What!  That  mine!  "  yelled  Staver,  and  the 
tone  of  his  voice  showed  his  deep  disgust. 
"  Nuthin'  to  it — nuthin'  at  all.  If  you're  arfter 
thet  mine  ye  might  as  well  go  right  back  home. 
It's  buried  deep  an'  fer  good." 

"  Let  us  hear  what  they  have  to  tell,"  said  Sol 
Blugg.  "  They  may  have  news  worth  listenin'  to, 
Ham." 

"  I  ain't  goin'  to  waste  no  time  lookin'  fer  thet 
lost  mine,"  growled  the  rascal  who  had  been  shot. 
"  I'm  goin'  back  to  town  an'  let  a  doctor  look  at 
this  hand  o'  mine." 

"  And  I  will  go  with  you !  "  put  in  Job  Has- 
kers,  eagerly.  "  I  have  had  enough  of  the  moun- 
tains !  The  others  can  locate  that  lost  mine  if 
they  wish." 

"  See  here,  you  fellers  sit  down  an'  we'll  talk 
this  thing  over,"  said  Sol  Blugg.  "  If  you've  got 
Blower  an'  Dillon  interested  in  lookin'  fer  the  lost 
mine  there  must  be  somethin'  in  it  wuth  knowin'. 
Might  be  as  you've  got  a  new  lead,  or  somethin'." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  know,"  answered  Link 
Merwell. 

He  and  Haskers,  after  bringing  in  their  horses, 
sat  down,  and  a  talk  lasting  the  best  part  of  an 
hour  followed.  The  men  from  Butte  asked  many 
questions,  and  wanted  to  know  about  the  map  and 
papers  Roger  was  carrying.  Blugg  and  Jaley 
were  evidently  much  impressed. 


DAVE  AND  THE  MOUNTAIN  LION       215 

"  You  are  right  about  one  thing,  Merwell,"  he 
said.  "  That  mine  is  now  teetotally  lost — the 
claim  was  shifted  by  the  landslide.  If  we  could 
relocate  the  mine  I  think  we  could  make  our  claim 
to  it  good  at  the  land  office." 

"Let  us  try  it!"  cried  Merwell,  eagerly. 
"  We  have  as  much  chance  to  do  it  as  the  Morr 
crowd." 

"  But  he  has  that  map,  and  the  directions." 

"  We  overheard  all  their  talk,  so  I  know  as 
much  as  Roger  Morr  does.  As  for  Blower  and 
Dillon,  they  don't  know  this  district  any  better 
than  you  men  do,  do  they?  " 

"  Not  much  better,"  answered  Larry  Jaley. 
"  We've  been  here  a  good  many  years."  He 
turned  to  Staver.     "  What  do  you  say,  now?  " 

"  Wall,  wot  this  young  feller  says  puts  a  dif- 
ferent look  on  the  situation,"  replied  the  man  who 
had  been  shot.  "  I'd  like  to  have  an  interest  in 
thet  mine  myself — thet  or  the  one  Tom  Dillon 
onct  said  he  had  near  it.  An'  as  Sol  says,  if  we 
relocated  the  claim,  maybe  we  could  hold  it  at  the 
land  office — anyway,  we  could  claim  a  fat  slice  o' 
the  wuth  o'  it." 

"  We'd  claim  it  all !  "  cried  Merwell. 

"  So  we  would!  "  came  from  Sol  Blugg.  "  Say, 
sonny,  you're  the  right  kind,  I  reckon,  an'  we'll 
call  ourselves  friends,"  he  added,  and  put  out  his 
hand  to  Link. 


216    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"Then  we  are — ahem! — not  going  back  to 
town?"  queried  Job  Haskers,  in  disappointed 
tones. 

"  No,  we'll  watch  those  other  fellers  an'  try  to 
locate  the  lost  mine,"  answered  Sol  Blugg;  and 
this  was  finally  agreed  to,  after  a  discussion  last- 
ing another  half-hour.  Job  Haskers  was  plainly 
disappointed,  and  his  face  showed  it,  and  Link 
Merwell  had  much  difficulty  in  cheering  up  the 
former  teacher. 

"  We  came  out  to  locate  that  gold  mine  and 
we'll  do  it,"  said  Merwell.  "  And  I  want  you  to 
be  on  hand,  when  the  time  comes,  to  attend  to  the 
legal  end  of  it,  so  that  we  get  our  share.  Of 
course,  as  I  am  wanted  by  the  police,  I  can't  ap- 
pear, but  you  can,  and  you  can,  secretly,  represent 
me. 

"  All  provided  the  lost  mine  is  found,"  re- 
sponded Job  Haskers.  He  had  plainly  lost  heart 
in  the  undertaking. 

"  Oh,  we  are  bound  to  locate  it — sooner  or 
later,"  said  Link  Merwell,  enthusiastically. 

While  this  plotting  was  going  on,  Roger  and 
those  with  him  were  picking  their  way  with  care 
over  the  loose  stones  that  covered  the  ridge 
of  rocks  where  the  great  landslide  had  taken 
place.  Here  traveling  was  exceedingly  danger- 
ous and  often  they  had  to  proceed  on  foot, 
for    fear    of    going    down    into    some    hollow. 


DAVE  AND  THE  MOUNTAIN  LION       217 

None  of  the  footing  seemed  to  be  safe,  and 
more  than  once  Tom  Dillon  shook  his  head 
doubtfully.  ' 

"  This  land  ain't  got  settled  yet,"  he  said  to 
Abe  Blower.  "  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  there 
was  another  landslide  before  long." 

"  Mebbe  you're  right,  Tom,"  was  Blower's  re- 
ply. "  But  if  it's  to  come,  I  hope  it  comes  arter 
we're  away." 

"  I  was  thinkin'  that  maybe  we  had  better  go 
over  to  the  second  ridge.     It  might  be  safer." 

"  I  was  thinkin'  that  myself." 

"  Then  we'll  git  over  as  soon  as  we  hit  a  good 
crossin-over  place,"  replied  Tom  Dillon. 

As  they  were  now  close  to  the  spot  where  the 
Landslide  Mine  was  supposed  to  have  been  lo- 
cated, Roger  became  very  eager  to  do  some  real 
searching  for  the  mine.  And  Dave  and  Phil  were 
equally  anxious  to  aid  their  chum. 

Coming  to  something  of  a  plateau  of  rocks,  the 
party  spread  out,  searching  for  certain  landmarks 
which  Abe  Blower  had  mentioned.  This  search 
was  by  no  means  easy,  for  some  of  the  loose  rocks 
were  very  large  in  size — one  being  as  big  as  a 
house — and  it  was  difficult  to  find  one's  way  along 
among  them. 

Dave  was  riding  along  slowly,  letting  his  horse 
find  the  best  footing  possible,  when  he  came  to  a 
narrow  defile.     The  rocks  were  on  both  sides,  and 


218    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

most  of  them  sticking  up  from  five  to  ten  feet 
above  his  head. 

"  It  wouldn't  be  any  fun  if  some  of  those  loose 
rocks  came  down  on  a  fellow's  head,  or  on  his 
horse,"  mused  our  hero,  as  he  moved  along.  "  I 
wonder  where  this  way  leads  to?  " 

At  a  distance  he  could  hear  the  others  talking, 
so  he  knew  they  were  not  far  off.  They,  too, 
were  now  among  the  big  rocks,  and  each  hidden 
from  the  others.  Then  the  talking  gradually 
ceased,  giving  way  to  an  occasional  call  or  whistle. 

"  Oh,  if  only  I  could  just  stumble  into  the  en- 
trance to  that  mine!  "  thought  Dave.  "  What  a 
fine  thing  it  would  be  for  Roger  and  his  family  1 
I  know  they  need  the  money!  " 

He  kept  his  eyes  on  the  alert,  but  none  of  the 
signs  for  which  he  was  searching  appeared,  nor 
did  anything  that  looked  like  a  mine  entrance 
show  itself. 

It  was  growing  towards  sunset  when  Dave,  who 
had  just  met  Phil  and  separated  from  him,  came 
to  another  rocky  defile,  this  time  leading  to  some- 
thing of  a  hollow.  Here  the  air  was  damp  and 
cool  and  our  hero  paused  for  a  moment,  for  he 
felt  tired  and  hot  after  the  hard  riding  of  the  day. 

"  Wonder  where  we  will  camp  for  to-night,"  he 
mused,  as  he  gazed  around  him.  "  I  hope  we  find 
some  nicer  spot  than  this.  This  looks  so  lonely 
and  spookish.     Well,  I  suppose  I've  got  to  go  on, 


DAVE  AND  THE  MOUNTAIN  LION       219 

or  they'll  get  ahead  of  me,  and  it  would  be  no  fun 
to  get  lost.     A  fellow " 

Dave  came  to  a  stop  in  his  musings  and  also 
drew  up  his  horse.  He  had  taken  but  a  few  steps 
farther,  and  now  saw,  to  one  side  of  the  rocky  de- 
file, a  small  opening,  leading  into  a  sort  of  hill. 

"  Looks  as  if  it  might  be  a  kind  of  cave,"  he 
told  himself.  "  I  guess  I'd  better  dismount  and 
take  a  look  inside.  It  might  be  the  entrance  to 
the  lost  mine !  " 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Dave  leaped 
from  his  horse,  and  letting  the  steed  stand,  ap- 
proached the  cave.  The  entrance  was  compara- 
tively small  and  he  had  to  stoop  down  to  peer 
inside. 

As  he  did  this  there  came  a  sudden  ominous 
growl  from  the  interior  of  the  cave.  It  was  the 
growl  of  a  wild  beast  and  caused  the  youth  to  leap 
back  in  alarm.  Then  a  slinking  body  came  into 
view  and  a  full-sized  mountain  lion  showed  him- 
self! 

Dave  ran  toward  his  horse.  But  as  the  moun- 
tain lion  gave  another  growl,  the  horse  snorted 
and  plunged,  in  sudden  fright.  Then  the  steed 
took  to  his  heels  and  went  clattering  along  the 
rocky  defile. 

"Stop!"  yelled  the  youth.  "Stop!"  And 
then  he  set  up  a  call  for  assistance. 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice,  the  mountain  lion 


220    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

paused,  just  outside  the  entrance  of  the  cave. 
Evidently  he  did  not  wish  to  become  trapped  in 
such  narrow  quarters.  He  eyed  Dave  with  glar- 
ing eyeballs,  and  showed  his  gleaming  teeth.  His 
tail  began  to  switch  from  side  to  side,  and  he 
crouched  low,  as  if  contemplating  a  spring  at  the 
boy. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

IN  THE   MOUNTAIN   CAVE 

Dave  had  been  in  perilous  situations  before, 
and  had  learned  the  important  lesson  that  if  he 
lost  his  wits  all  would  be  lost.  The  mountain  lion 
was  large  and  powerful  and  evidently  in  full  fight- 
ing humor. 

The  youth  was  armed,  carrying  a  pistol  by  Tom 
Dillon's  orders.  Now,  as  he  backed  against  the 
nearest  rock,  he  drew  the  weapon  and  pointed  it 
at  the  beast. 

The  mountain  lion  crouched  still  lower  and  the 
tail  of  the  creature  moved  from  side  to  side  with 
greater  swiftness.  Dave  felt  that  in  another 
second  or  two  the  beast  would  make  a  leap  for 
him. 

In  the  semi-darkness  of  the  rocky  defile  he  could 
see  the  lion  but  indistinctly.  But  the  two  eyes 
were  glaring  at  him  and  on  one  of  these  he  cen- 
tered his  aim  as  best  he  could. 

As  he  pulled  the  trigger  of  the  pistol  the  moun- 
tain lion  jumped  at  him.  Crack !  went  the  weapon, 
echoing  loudly  in  that  confined  space.    The  bullet 

221 


222    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

missed  the  beast's  head  and  buried  itself  in  the 
shoulder.    As  Dave  fired  he  leaped  to  one  side. 

It  was  well  that  our  hero  made  that  move, 
otherwise  the  mountain  lion  must  have  come  down 
directly  on  top  of  him.  As  it  was  the  beast  fell  at 
his  side,  snarling  and  snapping  fiercely,  and  turn- 
ing in  an  effort  to  ascertain  what  that  thing  was 
which  was  burning  him  in  the  shoulder. 

Crack!  the  pistol  sounded  out  again,  and  this 
time  the  mountain  lion  was  hit  in  the  neck.  Over 
and  over  he  rolled,  but  got  quickly  to  his  feet,  and, 
wounded  as  he  was,  prepared  for  another  spring 
at  our  hero. 

Again  Dave  fired,  but  this  time  his  aim  was  not 
so  true,  and  the  bullet,  grazing  the  lion's  tail, 
struck  a  rock  with  a  sharp  click.  Then  the  savage 
creature  hurled  himself  straight  for  Dave's  breast. 

Bang!  bang!  It  was  the  double  report  from  a 
huge,  old-fashioned  horse-pistol  that  Tom  Dillon 
carried.  The  old  miner  had  come  clattering  to 
the  spot  on  horseback  and  with  a  single  glance  had 
taken  in  the  situation.  The  leap  of  the  mountain 
lion  was  stayed,  and  with  a  final  snarl  the  beast 
rolled  over  and  over,  disappearing  of  a  sudden 
into  the  opening  of  the  cave  Dave  had  discovered. 

"Are  you  hurt,  lad?"  asked  the  old  miner, 
after  he  had  waited  anxiously  for  several  seconds 
for  the  mountain  lion  to  reappear. 

"  Not  in  the — the  least,"  was  our  hero's  panting 


"'    t 


AS   HE    PULLLED   THE  TRIGGER   OF  THE    PISTOL,   THE   MOUNTAIN   LION 

jumped  at  him. — Page  221. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAIN  CAVE  223 

answer.  "  But  it — it  was  a  close  call !  "  and  he 
shuddered.     "  Do  you  think  he's  dead?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder.  You  hit  him,  didn't 
you?" 

"  Yes,  twice.  But  they  couldn't  have  been  very 
good  shots,  or  he  wouldn't  have  come  for  me 
again." 

"  Mountain  lions  is  mighty  tough,  lad.  I've 
seen  one  with  six  bullets  in  him  still  show  fight. 
Load  up,  as  quick  as  you  can.  His  mate  may  be 
around." 

This  advice  was,  however,  unnecessary  for  Dave 
was  already  recharging  the  empty  chambers  of  the 
pistol.  From  his  Uncle  Dunston  he  had  learned 
years  before  the  advisability  of  keeping  one's 
weapon  ready  for  use  at  all  times. 

The  sound  of  the  shots  had  called  the  others  of 
the  party  to  the  scene,  and  numerous  were  the 
questions  asked. 

"  Wow  !  a  mountain  lion  !  "  cried  Phil.  "  And 
did  you  kill  him,  Dave?  " 

"  I  don't  know  whether  he  is  dead.  Mr.  Dil- 
lon and  I  both  hit  him,  and  he  flopped  around  here 
until  he  slid  down  into  that  hole  yonder." 

"  Maybe  he  isn't  dead  yet,"  suggested  Roger. 

"  Even  so,  being  badly  wounded,  he'll  stick  to 
his  shelter,"  said  Abe  Blower.  "  Say,"  he  went 
on,  "  thet  looks  like  a  putty  good  sized  cave !  " 

"  Just  what  I  was  thinking,"  returned  Dave. 


224    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  I  was  going  to  have  a  look  inside,  when  that 
mountain  lion  growled  and  sprang  out  at  me." 

"  We'll  light  some  torches,  and  take  a  look  at 
the  place,"  suggested  old  Tom  Dillon. 

"  Oh,  supposing  it's  an  entrance  to  that  lost 
mine!  "  cried  Phil. 

"  It  would  be  great!  "  added  the  senator's  son, 
enthusiastically. 

"  I  hardly  think  it  could  be  thet,"  put  in  Abe 
Blower.  "  But  if  the  cave  is  long  enough,  it  might 
lead  to  one  o'  the  shafts  as  was  sunk  fer  the  mine; 
eh,  Tom?" 

"  That's  true,"  responded  the  old  miner. 

"  I've  got  my  electric  torch  with  me,"  said 
Roger,  bringing  that  useful  article  from  his  pocket. 
"  We  can  use  that  in  the  cave." 

"  The  light  wouldn't  be  strong  enough,  an' 
steady  enough,"  answered  Abe  Blower.  "  We'll 
have  to  have  regular  torches,  and  plenty  of  'em, 
too.  Caves  like  thet  are  often  full  o'  holes,  an' 
ye  might  step  into  one  an'  fall  down  to  Chiny,  or 
somewhere  else,"  and  he  smiled,  grimly. 

The  old  miners  had  picked  up  some  sticks  for 
torches  on  the  way,  thinking  they  might  come  in 
useful  for  firewood  if  for  nothing  else,  and  several 
of  these  were  now  lit  and  swung  into  a  lively  blaze. 

"  No  use  of  all  of  us  goin'  in  there,"  said  Abe 
Blower. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAIN  CAVE  225 

"  No,  somebody  has  got  to  stay  here  an'  watch 
the  hosses,"  answered  Tom  Dillon. 

A  brief  discussion  followed,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Abe  Blower  and  Roger  and  Dave  should  go 
down  into  the  opening,  leaving  Tom  Dillon  and 
Phil  to  guard  the  animals  and  the  camping  outfit. 
Possibly  the  shipowner's  son  was  disappointed 
by  this  arrangement,  but  if  so  he  did  not  show  it. 

"  It  might  not  take  more'n  a  few  minutes  to  look 
into  the  cave,"  said  Abe  Blower.  "  An'  then  ag'in, 
it  might  take  some  hours.  But,  no  matter  how 
big  the  hole  is,  we  won't  be  gone  more'n  two  hours, 
Tom;"  and  so  it  was  decided. 

As  they  entered  the  cave — for  such  it  really 
proved  to  be — they  held  their  torches  over  their 
heads  and  looked  anxiously  for  the  mountain  lion. 

"  I  don't  see  anything  of  his  majesty,"  said 
Roger,  in  almost  a  whisper,  for  the  strange  adven- 
ture had  set  his  nerves  on  an  edge. 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  he  had  life  enough  left  to  crawl 
quite  a  distance,"  answered  Dave. 

The  cave  was  irregular  in  shape,  forming  some- 
thing of  an  underground  split  in  the  rocks.  The 
flooring  led  steadily  downward,  with  here  and 
there  an  opening  of  unknown  depth. 

"  A  good  place  to  prospect,"  said  Abe  Blower, 
as  he  flashed  his  torch  over  the  rocky  walls. 

"  Do  you  imagine  there  is  gold  in  those  rocks?  " 
asked  Dave. 


226    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Might  be,  lad,  an'  silver,  too.  But  there 
might  not  be  enough  to  make  it  pay  to  git  it  out." 

"I  see  the  mountain  lion!"  cried  Roger,  a 
minute  later.  "  There  he  is,  in  yonder  corner,  in 
his  den.    And  look,  it's  his  mate!  " 

All  gazed  and  not  far  distant  beheld  a  scene 
that  touched  their  hearts.  On  the  rocks  lay  the 
dead  lion  and  over  him  stood  his  mate,  licking  his 
face  with  her  rough  tongue. 

"Look  out!  "  cried  Abe  Blower,  and  drew  his 
horse-pistol — a  companion  weapon  to  that  carried 
by  Tom  Dillon.     "  She'll  come  fer  us,  sure!  " 

The  old  miner  was  right.  Swiftly  the  lioness 
turned,  and  set  up  a  savage  roar  that  echoed  and 
reechoed  throughout  the  cavern.  Then,  in  spite 
of  the  torches — for  all  savage  beasts  are  afraid  of 
fire — she  prepared  to  fight  those  she  felt  had  slain 
the  one  she  loved. 

It  was  Abe  Blower  who  fired  first,  and  scarcely 
had  the  sound  of  the  shot  died  away  when  Roger 
and  Dave  pulled  trigger.  Over  and  over  whirled 
the  lioness,  and  then  of  a  sudden  struck  one  of  the 
wide  cracks  in  the  flooring  of  the  cave  and  disap- 
peared from  view.  They  heard  the  body  strike 
on  some  rocks  far  below;  and  then  all  became 
silent. 

"  Oh,  wasn't  that  awful!  "  gasped  Roger,  and 
felt  of  his  forehead,  where  the  cold  perspiration 
had  gathered. 


IN  THE  MOUNTAIN  CAVE    .        227 

"  I — I  kind  of  hated  to  do  it,"  answered  Dave. 
"  She  was  mourning  over  her  mate !  " 

"Shall  we  send  the  other  body  down,  too?" 
went  on  the  senator's  son. 

"  Might  as  well,"  was  the  quick  answer,  and 
soon  the  other  lion  was  dragged  to  the  opening 
and  dropped  down.  Abe  Blower  looked  on  at  the 
work  and  smiled  grimly. 

"  I  suppose  ye  are  sorry  for  thet  lioness,  but 
I  ain't,"  he  said.  "  They  are  wicked  critters, 
I  can  tell  ye,  an'  they  do  a  whole  lot  o'  dam- 
age." 

"  I  suppose  they  live  according  to  their  nature," 
replied  Dave,  softly.  In  his  mind's  eye  he  could 
still  see  the  tawny  lioness  licking  the  face  of  her 
dead  mate. 

On  they  went  again.  The  cave  was  narrow  here 
but  presently  broadened  out.  The  roof  was,  for 
the  most  part,  less  than  ten  feet  high,  so  the  boys 
felt  just  as  if  they  were  "  walking  between  big  pie 
crusts,"  as  Roger  quaintly  expressed  it.  The  cave 
seemed  to  be  dry,  although  when  they  stopped 
once  more  to  look  around,  they  heard  the  distant 
gurgle  of  a  stream  of  water. 

"  Wall,  I  can't  see  as  it  looks  anythin'  like  a 
mine,"  announced  Abe  Blower,  presently.  "  Noth- 
in'  like  a  shaft  around  here." 

"  I  wonder  how  long  the  cave  is?  "  came  from 
Dave.    "  It  must  end  somewhere." 


228    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Say,  wouldn't  this  make  a  good  place  to  camp 
out  in?  "  asked  Roger,  of  the  old  miner. 

"  Not  much!  "  was  the  quick  answer. 

"Why  not?  It  would  be  cool  in  the  daytime 
and  warm  at  night,  with  a  little  campfire." 

"  Maybe,  lad.  But  wot  if  some  o'  these  rocks 
should  shift?  They'd  squash  ye  as  flat  as  a  flap- 
jack!" 

11 1  didn't  think  of  that." 

"  I  don't  believe  it  is  very  safe  in  here,"  said 
Dave.  "  This  cave  must  have  been  formed  by  that 
landslide,  and,  if  so,  perhaps  the  dirt  and  rocks 
haven't  finished  settling  yet.  I  don't  want  any 
rocks  to  come  down  on  my  head !  " 

"  Nor  on  any  of  us !  "  added  the  senator's  son. 

"  I've  got  an  idee  thet  we  are  a-comin'  to  an- 
other openin',"  remarked  Abe  Blower,  a  few 
minutes  later,  after  they  had  made  a  sharp  turn 
to  the  right. 

"Why  so?"  asked  Roger. 

"  I  kin  feel  some  fresh  air  from  somewhere." 

"  I  feel  it  too,"  returned  Dave.  "  Doesn't  it 
come  from  overhead?  " 

"  Mebbe,  lad;  although  I  thought  it  was 
ahead." 

"  Here  is  that  stream  of  water!  "  cried  Roger, 
as  they  made  another  turn.  "  But  we  can't  get  at 
it,"  he  added,  somewhat  disappointedly. 

"Why?" 


IN  THE  MOUNTAIN  CAVE  229 

"  It's  down  below  the  split  in  the  rocks. 
Look!" 

He  held  up  his  torch  so  they  could  look  down 
into  something  of  a  sharp-edged  basin  of  rocks. 
A  dozen  feet  below  they  could  see  the  water  pour- 
ing from  one  hole  in  the  rocks  and  disappearing 
farther  on. 

Nearly  an  hour  had  been  spent  in  walking  and 
crawling  around  the  big  cave.  They  had  had 
several  narrow  escapes  from  pitfalls  and  were 
moving  with  caution. 

"  Maybe  we  had  better  go  back,"  suggested 
Roger. 

"  I  was  thinkin'  thet  myself,"  answered  Abe 
Blower.  "  Nothin'  much  in  here,  so  far  as  I  kin 
see.  We  might  come  back  later  an'  have  another 
look — if  we  don't  discover  thet  lost  mine  else- 
where," he  added. 

"  You  are  sure  this  is  the  right  district?  "  asked 
Dave. 

"  Oh,  yes,  the  lost  Landslide  Mine  can't  be 
very  far  away,"  was  the  old  miner's  reply. 

They  turned  back,  heading,  as  they  thought,  for 
the  opening  by  which  they  had  entered.  On  and 
on  they  walked,  occasionally  slipping  and  sliding 
where  the  rocks  sloped.  Then  they  came  to  a  spot 
where  there  was  a  wide  crevice  to  cross. 

"  My  gracious,  did  we  jump  over  that  when  we 
came  this  way?  "  queried  the  senator's  son,  as  all 


230    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

gazed  at  the  wide  opening,  which  was  of  unknown 
depth. 

"  We  certainly  did  not !  "  declared  Abe  Blower. 

"  Then  we  have  come  the  wrong  way  I  "  put  in 
Dave,  quickly. 

"  It  sure  looks  like  it,  lad." 

"If  that's  the  case,  we'll  have  to  go  back!" 
came  from  Roger.  He  looked  around  them  and 
his  face  paled  a  trifle.  "  Oh,  do  you  think  we  are 
lost?" 

"  If  we  are  not,  we  are  next  door  to  it,"  was 
Abe  Blower's  serious  answer. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

SEARCHING   FOR    THE    LANDSLIDE   MINE 

Lost  underground ! 

It  was  a  terrible  condition  of  affairs  to  contem- 
plate, and  for  an  instant  Dave's  heart  almost 
stopped  beating  and  something  like  a  chill  swept 
down  his  backbone.  What  if  they  should  be  un- 
able to  find  their  way  out  of  the  rocky  cave? 

"  We'll  have  to  go  back,"  said  Abe  Blower,  in 
a  low  voice,  after  a  pause,  in  which  the  three  of 
the  party  had  gazed  around  at  the  walls  of  the 
cavern  and  at  each  other.  "  An'  we  don't  want 
to  lose  no  time  nuther,"  added  the  old  miner. 

"  No,  for  the  others  will  be  wondering  what 
has  become  of  us,"  put  in  Roger. 

"  It  ain't  thet  so  much,  lad,  it's  the  torches — 
they  won't  last  forever." 

All  gazed  at  the  lights  and  saw  that  the  old 
miner  was  right.  The  first  ones  they  had  lit  had 
burnt  out  and  the  remaining  lot  were  more  than 
half  consumed. 

Without  further  words  they  turned  around,  in 
an  endeavor  to   retrace  their  steps  to  the  point 

231 


232    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

where  they  had  made  a  false  turn.  Abe  Blower 
led  the  way  and  the  boys  followed,  all  keeping 
their  eyes  wide  open,  to  make  certain  that  nothing 
of  importance  might  escape  them. 

On  and  on  they  went,  seeing  one  spot  after  an- 
other that  looked  familiar.  They  even  passed 
the  spot  where  Dave  had  thrown  away  the  end 
of  his  first  torch.  The  bit  of  wood  was  still  smok- 
ing. 

"  Here's  the  split  in  the  cave,  I  think,"  said  the 
old  miner,  at  last. 

They  had  reached  a  spot  where  the  cavern 
widened  out  into  a  large,  circular  opening.  From 
this  point  could  be  seen  several  other  openings. 
Evidently  they  had  taken  the  wrong  passage- 
way. 

"But  which  is  the  right  one?"  questioned 
Roger.     "  They  all  look  alike  to  me." 

"  Look  putty  much  alike  to  me,  too,"  returned 
Abe  Blower.  "  If  only  I  had  thought  to  put  down 
a  few  chalk  marks !  "  he  sighed. 

Dave  said  nothing  but  went  around  to  the  vari- 
ous openings,  examining  all  with  care  by  the  light 
of  his  torch. 

"  I  believe  this  is  the  one  we  came  in  by,"  he 
announced,  a  few  minutes  later. 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?  "  asked  his  chum. 

"  Do  you  see  that  curiously-shaped  rock  over 
there?    Well,  I  remember  seeing  that  as  we  came 


SEARCHING  FOR  THE  MINE  233 

along — it  reminded  me  of  a  giant's  face.  Now, 
you  can't  see  that  rock  that  way  only  from  here." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Dave.  I  must  confess 
I  am  all  mixed  up,"  and  Roger  sighed. 

"  We  can  try  it  for  a  little  distance,"  said  Abe 
Blower.  "  Then,  if  we  won't  see  anything  we 
remember  seein'  before,  we  can  come  back  to  this 
place." 

"  But  our  torches "  began  the  senator's  son. 

"  We'll  use  one  at  a  time — that  will  make  'em 
last,"  said  Dave. 

This  was  considered  a  good  suggestion,  and  all 
but  one  of  the  flaming  lights  were  extinguished. 
Then  they  walked  down  the  passageway  as  quickly 
as  safety  permitted. 

"  I — I  don't  see  anything  that  looks  like  what 
I  saw  before,"  said  Roger,  after  a  bit.  "  The 
rocks  look  all  alike  to  me." 

"  An'  to  me,"  returned  the  old  miner,  and  there 
was  something  of  hopelessness  in  his  tones. 

But  they  kept  on.  Dave  had  the  torch  and  was 
ahead,  with  the  others  close  at  his  heels.  The 
single  torch  gave  but  an  uncertain  light  and  cast 
grotesque  shadows  on  all  sides. 

"  Look!  "  cried  our  hero,  a  little  later. 

He  pointed  to  a  series  of  small  stones  resting  on 
the  floor  of  the  cavern.  They  were  somewhat  in 
the  form  of  a  circle,  with  a  large  stone  in  the 
center. 


234    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Oh,  I  remember  those  stones!  "  cried  Roger, 
joyfully. 

"  So  do  I !  "  put  in  Abe  Blower.  "  I  reckon 
as  how  we  are  in  the  right  passageway  now, 
lads !  "  he  continued,  in  a  more  hopeful  tone. 

"I  am  sure  we  are!"  came  from  our  hero. 
"  But  we  have  a  pretty  good  distance  to  go  yet." 

"  Yes,  an'  be  careful  thet  ye  don't  go  down 
in  none  o'  them  pesky  holes,"  cautioned  the  old 
miner. 

Quarter  of  an  hour  later  they  reached  the  spot 
where  they  had  shot  the  lioness.  Looking  ahead, 
they  saw  a  torch  waving  in  the  air. 

"  Hullo !  hullo !  "  came  in  the  voice  of  Phil. 
"  Where  are  you?  " 

"Here  we  are!"  answered  Dave  and  Roger. 

"  You've  been  a  long  time  in  here,"  went  on  the 
shipowner's  son. 

"  We  got  lost,"  announced  Roger. 

"  And  we  shot  the  mate  of  that  mountain  lion," 
added  Dave. 

They  soon  reached  Phil,  and  then  the  whole 
party  quickly  made  their  way  out  of  the  cave. 
Those  who  had  been  left  outside  listened  with  in- 
terest to  what  Dave  and  the  others  had  to 
relate. 

"Well,  that  sure  must  be  some  cave!"  ex- 
claimed Tom  Dillon.  "  An'  as  Abe  says,  we  must 
come  back  and  examine  it  more  closely  some  time. 


SEARCHING  FOR  THE  MINE  235 

There  may  be  a  lot  of  gold  an'  silver  in  it,  an' 
maybe  other  metals." 

"  Perhaps  radium !  "  cried  Phil.  "  Say, 
wouldn't  it  be  great  to  find  a  radium  mine !  " 

"  I  don't  think  ye'll  find  any  o'  thet  new-fangled 
stuff  here,"  answered  Tom  Dillon.  "  An'  any- 
way, gold  an'  silver  is  good  enough  for  me,"  and 
he  smiled  broadly. 

Nightfall  found  the  party  still  among  the  loose 
rocks  that  overspread  the  mountainside  where  the 
great  landslide  had  taken  place.  Looking  at  the 
forsaken  and  desolate  region,  the  boys  could  well 
understand  why  the  search  for  the  lost  mine  had 
been  given  up.  There  was  nothing  to  be  seen 
that  looked  in  the  least  promising.  Rocks  and 
dirt  rested  on  all  sides,  and  that  was  all. 

"  We  looked  over  the  rocks  and  the  dirt  putty 
well,  too,"  explained  Tom  Dillon.  "  But  there 
wasn't  nary  a  sight  o'  gold;  eh,  Abe?  " 

"  Not  enough  fer  to  buy  a  plug  o'  tobaccer 
with,"  answered  the  other  miner. 

As  one  spot  was  no  better  than  another  appar- 
ently, they  did  not  spend  much  time  in  looking 
for  a  place  to  camp.  In  one  place  was  a  little 
rough  brush  and  here  the  horses  were  tethered. 
Then  a  tiny  fire  was  kindled  in  a  hollow  of  the 
rocks,  and  over  this  they  prepared  their  supper, — 
a  rather  slim  affair,  considering  that  every  one 
was  tremendously  hungry. 


236    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Not  a  seven-course  dinner,"  said  Phil,  with  a 
sickly  grin. 

"  Never  mind,"  returned  Dave,  cheerfully. 
"  Just  wait  till  after  we  have  found  that  lost  mine 
and  get  into  Yellowstone  Park.  I'm  sure  the 
hotels  there  serve  the  best  of  meals." 

"  O  dear !  now  I  am  here,  it  doesn't  look  so 
easy — I  mean  to  locate  that  mine,"  sighed  Roger. 

"  What,  you're  not  going  to  give  up  so  soon, 
are  you,  lad!  "  cried  Tom  Dillon. 

"  Why,  we  ain't  begun  no  search  yit,"  added 
Abe  Blower.  "  Time  to  git  kind  o'  tired  arfter 
ye  have  been  here  a  week  or  two  an'  nuthin' 
doin'." 

To  this  none  of  the  boys  replied.  But  they 
could  not  help  but  think  what  a  dreary  time  it 
would  be,  searching  among  those  rocks  and  that 
loose  dirt  day  after  day,  if  the  lost  mine  were  not 
brought  to  light. 

The  day's  exertions  had  tired  all  hands,  and  they 
slept  soundly  throughout  the  night,  with  nothing 
coming  to  disturb  them.  When  the  boys  got  up 
they  found  Abe  Blower  already  at  the  campfire, 
preparing  a  breakfast  of  his  favorite  flapjacks  and 
bacon.  He  fried  his  big  flapjacks  one  at  a  time 
in  a  pan,  and  it  was  simply  wonderful  to  the  boys 
how  he  would  throw  a  cake  in  the  air  and  catch 
it  in  the  pan  bottom  side  up. 

"  It's  the  knack  on't,"  said  Tom  Dillon,  as  he 


SEARCHING  FOR  THE  MINE  237 

saw  the  lads  watching  the  feat  performed.  "  I 
know  some  old  miners  kin  keep  two  pans  a-goin' 
that  way,  and  never  miss  a  cake." 

"  I'd  like  to  try  it,"  said  Phil. 

"  Not  now — we  ain't  got  no  batter  to  waste," 
replied  Abe  Blower,  with  a  chuckle. 

The  morning  meal  at  an  end,  the  hunt  for 
traces  of  the  lost  Landslide  Mine  commenced  in 
earnest.  Dave  and  his  chums  had  come  dressed 
for  the  work,  and  the  whole  party  were  provided 
with  picks,  shovels,  crowbars,  axes,  and  a  couple 
of  gold-pans. 

The  whole  of  that  day  was  spent  on  the  moun- 
tainside, the  various  members  of  the  party  separat- 
ing from  time  to  time  and  then  coming  together, 
to  relate  their  various  experiences.  The  old 
miners  had  told  the  boys  how  to  search  and  what 
landmarks  to  look  for,  so  that  they  did  not  seek 
altogether  blindly. 

It  was  hard,  hot  work,  for  the  sun  poured  down 
all  the  long  day.  And  added  to  that,  water  was 
scarce,  for  the  nearest  spring  was  well' down  the 
mountainside,  and  even  this  had  a  bitter  taste 
which  rendered  it  far  from  palatable. 

"  Well,  nothing  doing  so  far,"  said  Roger,  as 
they  came  together  in  the  evening. 

"  Never  mind,  we  may  have  better  luck  to-mor- 
row," returned  Dave,  as  cheerfully  as  he  could. 

Several   days  went  by,   including   Sunday,   and 


238    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

still  they  found  nothing  that  looked  like  a  trace 
of  the  lost  Landslide  Mine.  They  had  covered 
a  tract  of  rocks  and  dirt  several  hundred  feet  in 
width  and  all  of  half  a  mile  long.  The  only  spot 
they  had  avoided  was  one  where  some  loose  rocks 
looked  to  be  positively  dangerous. 

"  We  might  tackle  that,  but  we'd  be  taking  a 
big  risk,"  said  Dave. 

"  Right  you  are,"  said  Phil.  "  If  those  rocks 
tumbled  on  us,  it  would  be  good-by  to  this  world !  " 

"  But  the  entrance  to  the  lost  mine  may  be 
under  those  very  rocks !  "  sighed  Roger.  "  And 
if  so,  just  see  what  we'd  miss  by  not  searching 
there." 

"  I've  got  an  idee  fer  tacklin'  thet  place,"  said 
Abe  Blower.  "  It  will  be  hard  work,  but  putty 
safe — if  we  are  careful." 

"  You  mean  to  get  above  the  rocks  and  roll  'em 
down  the  mountainside,  one  after  another?  " 
questioned  Tom  Dillon. 

"  Exactly,  Tom.  We  could  do  it  with  the  wust 
o'  the  rocks  that  are  loose — an'  the  rest  wouldn't 
matter  so  much." 

"  But  we'd  have  to  take  care  that  we  didn't  roll 
the  rocks  on  somebody's  head,"  remarked  Dave. 

"  To  be  sure." 

The  task  of  getting  at  the  dangerous  rocks  was 
begun  the  next  day.  Stone  after  stone  was  sent 
crashing  down  the  mountainside,  into  a  desolate 


SEARCHING  FOR  THE  MINE  239 

waste  below.  It  was  hard  work,  and  the  boys 
were  exhausted  by  the  time  night  fell  around  them. 
They  had  found  a  number  of  openings  under  the 
rocks,  but  none  of  these  had  proved  to  be  the  en- 
trance to  the  lost  mine. 

"  And  yet,  somehow,  I'm  almost  certain  this  is 
the  spot  where  the  mine  was  located,"  said  Abe 
Blower,  after  another  look  around.  "  The  scenery 
yonder  looks  jest  like  it." 

"  So  it  does,"  answered  Tom  Dillon.  "  I  feel 
that  the  Landslide  Mine  was  just  about  here,  an' 
my  claim  was  over  there,"  and  he  pointed  to  some 
rocks  in  the  distance. 

Twice  during  the  time  that  they  were  sending 
the  big  stones  down  the  mountainside  they  had 
caught  sight  of  another  party  among  the  rocks, 
once  on  horseback  and  again  on  foot.  But  the 
party  had  been  too  far  away  for  any  one  to  be 
recognized,  even  with  the  field-glass. 

"  Maybe  it's  the  Sol  Blugg  crowd,"  said  Dave. 

"  Yes,  and  maybe  Merwell  and  Haskers  are 
with  them,"  added  Phil. 

The  wind  had  begun  to  blow  strongly  and  the 
sun  went  down  in  a  heavy  mass  of  angry-looking 
clouds. 

"  Up  against  a  storm,  I  reckon,"  said  Tom 
Dillon,  after  a  careful  survey  of  the  sky. 

"  Yes,  an'  when  she  comes  like  as  not  she'll  be 
a  rip-snorter,"  returned  Abe  Blower. 


240    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Supper  was  hurried,  because  of  the  wind  and  the 
heavy  clouds,  and  then  the  whole  party  withdrew 
to  the  shelter  of  some  rocks,  taking  their  horses 
with  them. 

"Do  you  think  it  will  be  very  bad?"  asked 
Dave,  of  old  Tom  Dillon. 

"  Perhaps,  lad;  some  storms  up  here  on  the 
mountain  are  about  as  bad  as  they  make  'em," 
was  the  grave  reply. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


CAUGHT  IN  A   STORM 


"  Say,  but  this  is  sure  going  to  be  a  corker!  " 

Dave  shouted  out  the  words — to  make  himself 
heard  above  the  whistling  of  the  wind  as  it  blew 
across  the  little  plateau  on  the  mountainside, 
where  the  party  had  gone  into  camp. 

It  was  half  an  hour  later,  and  during  that  time 
the  oncoming  storm  had  approached  steadily.  At 
first  the  wind  had  come  in  fitful  gusts,  bending  the 
scant  brushwood  among  the  rocks  first  in  one 
direction  and  then  another.  This  had  been  fol- 
lowed by  a  sudden  dash  of  rain,  and  for  a  few 
minutes  they  had  hoped  that  the  worst  of  the 
downpour  would  pass  to  the  south  of  them.  But 
then  had  come  a  sudden  turn,  and  now  the  rain 
was  descending  on  them  in  torrents,  driven  in  a 
slanting  direction  by  the  wind,  which  showed  no 
signs  of  abating. 

"I  should  say  it  was  a  corker!"  returned 
Roger,  as  he  brushed  the  water  from  his  face  and 
peered  beyond  the  rocks.  To  get  out  of  that 
driving  downfall  was  impossible. 

241 


242    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  I  wish  we  were  in  that  cave,"  cried  Phil. 
"  We'd  be  as  dry  as  a  bone  in  there." 

"  Not  if  the  roof  leaked,"  returned  the  sena- 
tor's son,  grimly.  "  Besides,  somehow  I  don't 
think  it  would  be  safe." 

"Why  not?" 

"  The  rain  might  wash  down  some  of  the  rocks 
forming  the  roof." 

"  Pooh !  they  have  stayed  up  so  long,  I  guess 
they  would  stay  up  a  little  longer,"  grumbled 
Phil. 

"  No  sech  cave  for  me,"  broke  in  Abe  Blower. 
"  The  rain  makes  'em  too  dangerous.  I  was  in  a 
mine  onct  when  it  rained  like  this,  an',  fust  thing 
we  knew,  about  a  hundred  tons  o'  rocks  slid  down, 
almost  buryin'  us  alive !  " 

"  We'll  stay  where  we  are,"  said  Tom  Dillon. 
"  The  storm  won't  last  forever." 

As  the  night  came  on,  and  the  storm  continued, 
the  boys  felt  anything  but  comfortable.  Building 
a  campfire  was  out  of  the  question,  for  the  rain 
made  a  dense  smoke  which  the  wind  swirled  all 
around  them,  setting  them  to  coughing  and  the 
horses  to  snorting.  The  animals  were  as  much 
alarmed  as  their  masters. 

"  Might  as  well  save  your  firewood,  boys,"  said 
Abe  Blower.  "  You'll  need  it,  to  dry  out  by,  arfter 
the  rain  stops." 

"  If  it  ever  does  stop,"  grumbled  Phil.     Rain 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  243 

was  Phil's  great  bugbear  when  he  was  on  any  kind 
of  an  outing. 

At  midnight  the  rain  was  coming  down  as 
steadily  as  ever.  But  the  strong  wind  had  died 
down  somewhat,  so  by  remaining  close  to  some 
overhanging  rocks  they  were  more  or  less  pro- 
tected from  the  elements.  But  they  could  not  lie 
down,  and  sleep  was  out  of  the  question. 

"  Dave,  do  you  think  Merwell  and  Haskers 
went  back  to  Butte?  "  asked  the  senator's  son, 
as  the  three  boys  sat  close  together  under  a  big 
rock. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,  Roger.  They'd  have 
to  go  back  unless  they  fell  in  with  somebody  who 
knew  something  of  this  district." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  that  other  party  we 
saw  at  a  distance?  " 

"  They  might  be  the  Sol  Blugg  gang,  or  they 
might  be  almost  anybody,  Roger.  Anybody  can 
come  here  and  try  to  locate  a  paying  claim." 

"  Somehow  I  feel  it  in  my  bones  that  that  is  the 
Blugg  gang  and  that  Link  and  old  Haskers  are 
with  'em,"  said  Phil.  "  To  my  mind,  all  those 
fellows  are  tarred  with  the  same  brush,  and  they 
would  like  nothing  better  than  to  relocate  the  lost 
Landslide  Mine  first." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,"  returned  Dave. 
"  Well,  I  don't  see  how  we  are  going  to  stop  them 


244    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

from  going  ahead — I  mean  Blugg  and  Haskers. 
Of  course  we  can  have  Merwell  arrested  on  sight, 
and  Mr.  Dillon  can  have  that  Staver  locked  up 
for  trying  to  steal  the  horses." 

A  rush  of  wind  made  further  conversation  just 
then  impossible.  So  far  there  had  been  little 
thunder  and  lightning,  but  now  came  a  flash  and 
a  crack  that  caused  the  boys  to  leap  to  their  feet, 
while  the  horses  plunged  and  acted  as  if  they 
wanted  to  bolt. 

"Some  stroke,  eh?"  cried  Abe  Blower,  when 
the  alarm  was  over.  "  It  must  have  struck  near 
here." 

"  It  was  a  little  too  close  for  comfort,"  re- 
turned Dave,  grimly.  "  I  don't  think  a  spot  like 
this  is  particularly  safe  in  a  storm." 

"  Oh,  ye  might  git  struck  down  in  the  valley 
jest  as  quick,"  answered  the  old  miner. 

"  The  rivers  will  be  pretty  high  after  this 
flood,"  said  Roger. 

"  Might  be  as  how  it  will  start  another  land- 
slide, although  I  hope  not,"  said  Tom  Dillon, 
musingly. 

"  It  wouldn't  be  so  bad  if  the  landslide  opened 
up  the  lost  mine,"  said  Dave. 

"  Oh,  thet  would  be  all  right,  lad, — if  we 
wasn't  caught  in  the  fallin'  rocks." 

Slowly  the  night  wore  away,  and  when  daylight 
came  it  was  still  raining.    But  the  wind  had  gone 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  245 

down  and  the  sky  looked  as  if  the  rainfall  might 
cease  at  any  moment. 

"  Wall,  we'll  try  fer  breakfast,"  observed 
Abe  Blower.  "  Nothin'  like  a  hot  cup  o' 
coffee  an'  some  flapjacks  to  cheer  a  man 
up." 

The  driest  of  the  wood  was  selected,  and  they 
built  a  new  fire  with  care,  in  the  shelter  of  the 
largest  of  the  overhanging  rocks.  Soon  the  ap- 
petizing odor  of  freshly  made  coffee  filled  the  air 
and  all  drew  close,  to  have  a  cup,  and  to  partake 
of  some  fried  bacon  and  some  of  Abe  Blower's 
famous  flapjacks. 

"  Them  flapjacks  made  Abe  a  good  friend," 
observed  Tom  Dillon,  while  eating.  "  They  was 
the  means  o'  introducing  Maurice  Harrison  to 
him.  Ain't  that  so,  Abe?"  And  the  old  miner 
grinned  broadly. 

"  Right  you  are!  "  was  the  ready  reply.  "  We 
was  in  the  mountains  together,  and  Maurice  didn't 
have  nuthin'  to  eat.  I  made  him  some  o'  my 
flapjacks  an'  then  we  became  pardners  fer  nigh 
on  to  a  year.  Thet  was  up  at  tudder  end  o'  the 
State,"  explained  Abe  Blower. 

By  the  time  breakfast  was  over  and  the  horses 
had  been  cared  for,  the  rain  had  stopped  and  the 
sun  was  breaking  through  the  eastern  sky.  All  in 
the  camp  lost  no  time  in  changing  their  wet  gar- 
ments for  dry.     The  soaked  clothing  was  then 


246    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

hung  up  around  the  fire  and  on  the  rocks  in  the 
sun. 

,  "  You  want  to  be  careful  how  you  climb  around 
this  mornin',"  warned  Tom  Dillon.  "  Some  o' 
the  places  is  mighty  slippery.  You  don't  want 
to  slide  over  no  rocks  into  a  hollow  an'  git 
killed!" 

"No,  indeed!"  replied  Roger,  earnestly. 

It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  that 
they  took  up  the  hunt  for  the  lost  mine  once  more. 
This  time  the  three  boys  went  off  together,  Abe 
Blower  advising  them  not  to  separate  while  the 
rocky  slopes  were  so  wet. 

"  You  keep  together  an'  me  an'  Tom  will  do  the 
same  thing,"  he  said.  "  Then,  if  anything  hap- 
pens to  anybody,  the  others  can  help." 

For  over  two  hours  the  boys  hunted  around, 
making  their  way  along  a  ledge  of  rocks  below  the 
point  where  they  had  hunted  before. 

"  From  the  description  left  by  Uncle  Maurice, 
that  mine  was  pretty  deep,"  said  Roger.  "  And  if 
it  was,  maybe  we'll  be  more  apt  to  find  an  opening 
to  it  from  below  rather  than  from  above." 

"  Well,  it  won't  do  any  harm  to  look  around 
here,  anyway,"  returned  Dave. 

They  had  to  proceed  with  great  care,  for  in 
spots  the  water  was  still  running  over  the  rocks 
and  the  footing  was  very  slippery.  They  had  a 
rope  with  them  and  all  took  hold  of  this,  Dave 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  247 

being  in  front,  Phil  coming  next,  and  Roger  bring- 
ing up  the  rear. 

"  It's  not  such  an  easy  job  as  I  thought  it  would 
be,"  panted  Phil,  after  they  had  made  an  unusually 
difficult  turn  of  the  ledge.  "  It  kind  of  takes  the 
wind  out  of  a  fellow !  " 

"  Let  us  rest  a  bit,"  suggested  Dave.  "  We 
can't  go  much  further  along  the  ledge  anyway," 
he  added,  looking  ahead. 

They  had  reached  a  point  where  the  outcrop- 
ping of  rocks  had  split  in  twain,  forming  the  ledge 
they  were  on  and  another  ledge  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  away.  Between  the  two  ledges  was  a  hollow 
with  jagged  rocks  far  below.  The  other  ledge 
wound  around  another  hill,  leading  to  the  north- 
west. 

"  This  certainly  is  a  wild  country,"  said  Roger, 
as  the  boys  seated  themselves  on  the  inner  side  of 
the  ledge.  "  Hunting  for  gold  and  silver  in  a 
place  like  this  is  certainly  not  easy.  Think  of 
spending  month  after  month  among  rocks  like 
these,  looking  for  '  pay  dirt '  or  '  pay  rock,'  as  they 
call  it!" 

"  And  yet  it  just  suited  your  uncle,"  returned 
Dave,  "  and  it  suits  Abe  Blower  and  Mr.  Dillon." 

The  boys  relapsed  into  silence,  glad  of  the  rest. 
Dave  was  thinking  of  his  father,  and  of  the  folks 
who  had  gone  into  Yellowstone  Park,  when  sud- 
denly he  felt  his  sleeve  pulled  by  Roger. 


248    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Look !  "  whispered  the  senator's  son.  "  Don't 
make  any  noise,  either  of  you!  " 

He  had  pulled  Phil's  sleeve  also,  and  now  he 
motioned  for  his  chums  to  crouch  down  behind 
the  rocks  on  which  they  had  been  sitting,  stones 
that  lay  loosely  on  the  ledge,  close  to  the  tower- 
ing cliff. 

As  the  three  lads  slipped  down  behind  the  loose 
stones  on  which  they  had  been  resting,  all  gazed 
in  the  direction  Roger  pointed  out.  On  the  other 
ledge  several  persons  had  appeared. 

"Link  Merwell!"  gasped  Phil.  "And  see, 
that  Sol  Blugg  is  with  him!  " 

"  And  here  comes  Job  Haskers  and  the  man 
called  Larry  Jaley!  "  said  Dave,  in  reply. 

"  Wonder  where  that  other  fellow,  Staver,  is?  " 
murmured  Roger. 

"  Maybe  he  was  too  badly  hurt  to  come  with 
them  and  had  to  go  back,"  returned  Dave. 

"  Say,  I  don't  see  much  use  of  coming  along 
this  trail,"  called  out  Link  Merwell,  to  those  with 
him. 

"  It  certainly  is  beastly  walking  here,"  said  Job 
Haskers.  "  I've  nearly  sprained  my  ankle  several 
times." 

"  Well,  if  we  want  to  find  that  lost  mine  we  got 
to  hunt  fer  it,"  growled  Sol  Blugg.  "  It  ain't 
comin'  to  you,  you  know." 

"  I  agree  thet  this  trail  ain't  none  too  safe," 


CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM  249 

came  from  Larry  Jaley.  "  If  a  feller  slipped  off 
he'd  have  some  fall,  so  he  would!"  he  added, 
looking  down  into  the  hollow  with  its  jagged 
rocks. 

Roger  nudged  Dave  in  the  side. 

"  They  are  after  the  Landslide  Mine,  just  as  I 
supposed!  "  he  murmured. 

"  Well,  they  seem  to  be  no  nearer  finding  it 
than  we  are,"  was  our  hero's  reply. 

"  But  they  haven't  any  right  to  the  mine !  " 
burst  out  Phil.    "  It  belongs  to  Roger's  mother!  " 

"  Listen  to  what  they  have  to  say,"  warned  the 
senator's  son. 

The  party  on  the  opposite  ledge  were  now  so 
close,  and  the  air  was  so  clear,  that  all  which  was 
said  could  be  heard  distinctly. 

"  I  thought  sure  we'd  be  able  to  locate  some 
landmarks  before  this,"  growled  Link  Mer- 
well.  "  Are  you  sure  this  is  the  right  district, 
Blugg?"  ^ 

"  This  is  where  the  Landslide  Mine  was  sup- 
posed to  be  located.  You  had  the  description  of 
those  landmarks,  I  didn't,"  added  the  Westerner. 

Just  then  Larry  Jaley  let  out  a  quick  cry. 

"  Look  over  yonder!  "  he  called.  "  Sumbuddy 
behind  the  rocks  !  " 

He  pointed  at  Dave  and  the  others,  and  a 
second  later  the  three  youths  knew  that  they  had 
been  discovered. 


250    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Come  out  o'  thet,  whoever  you  are!  "  cried 
Sol  Blugg. 

"  We  might  as  well  get  up,"  said  Dave,  and 
arose  to  his  feet.  His  chums  did  likewise  and 
then  those  on  one  ledge  of  rocks  faced  those  on 
the  other. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


PROWLERS   IN    CAMP 


"Huh!  so  it's  you,  is  it!"  cried  Link  Mer- 
well,  in  surly  tones. 

"So  you  are  after  my  mine!"  cried  Roger, 
sharply.  "  Well,  I'll  tell  you  right  now,  if  you 
locate  it,  it  won't  do  you  any  good." 

"  Bah  !  We  know  what  we  are  doing,"  retorted 
the  youth  who  in  the  past  had  caused  Dave  and 
his  chums  so  much  trouble.  "  You  can't  scare 
us." 

"  Link,  you  ought  to  be  in  jail !  "  burst  out  Phil. 

"  You'll  never  put  me  there,"  was  the  quick 
retort. 

"  We  have  as  much  right  to  look  for  a  mine 
up  here  as  you  have,"  put  in  Sol  Blugg.  "  If  you 
own  a  mine,  where  are  your  stakes  or  other  land- 
marks? " 

"  You  know  very  well  that  they  were  carried 
away  by  that  landslide,"  answered  the  senator's 
son. 

"  We  don't  know  nuthin'  of  the  kind,"  came 
from  Larry  Jaley.     "  Your  uncle  claimed  to  have 

251 


252    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

a  mine  up  here,  but  I  never  seen  no  proof  of  it — 
nor  did  anybuddy  else  see  any  proof.  Any  of  us 
kin  locate  a  claim,  an'  you  can't  stop  us." 

"  This  is  free  land,  so  far  as  locatin'  a  claim 
is  concerned,"  added  Sol  Blugg. 

"  Well,  if  you  locate  that  mine  before  we  do, 
don't  you  dare  to  remove  any  of  my  uncle's  land- 
marks," returned  Roger. 

"Ha!  wot  kind  o'  talk  is  thetl"  burst  out 
Larry  Jaley. 

"  Oh,  we  know  you,"  put  in  Dave.  "  We  know 
just  what  sort  of  a  bunch  you  are." 

"  Porter,  do  you  include  me  in  that  remark?" 
demanded  Job  Haskers,  drawing  himself  up  as 
had  been  his  fashion  when  an  instructor  at  Oak 
Hall. 

"  I  certainly  do,"  replied  Dave. 

"  You  are  impertinent!  " 

"  It  won't  do  you  any  good  to  act  in  that  way, 
Job  Haskers,"  returned  our  hero.  "  We  know 
you  for  the  rascal  that  you  are.  You  committed  a 
crime  at  Oak  Hall,  and  you  did  what  you  could  to 
swindle  Mr.  Fordham.  It's  useless  for  you  to 
deny  it.  Now,  let  me  say  this :  If  you  and  those 
with  you  try  to  do  the  Morrs  out  of  their  property 
here,  we'll  do  all  we  can  to  put  you  and  Link 
Merwell  in  prison  for  your  crimes.  And  more 
than  that,  we'll  do  what  we  can  to  have  those  men 
arrested,  for  that  land  swindle  they  tried  to  pull 


"  If  you  locate  that  mine  before  we  do,  don't  you  dare  to 

REMOVE   ANY    OF   MY    UNCLE'S   LANDMARKS." — Page  252. 


PROWLERS  IN  CAMP  253 

off  when  Abe  Blower  blocked  them,  and  for  steal- 
ing our  horses." 

"You  —  you "     stammered     the     former 

teacher,  and  for  the  moment  knew  not  what  to 
say. 

"Don't  you  call  us  hoss-thieves !  "  burst  out 
Sol  Blugg,  savagely. 

"  I  can  and  I  will,"  replied  Dave,  firmly. 
"  Your  crowd  tried  to  take  our  horses,  and  the 
fellow  called  Staver  got  shot  doing  it.  I  guess 
that  is  why  he  isn't  with  you  now." 

"Bah!  I  won't  talk  with  you,"  growled  Sol 
Blugg.    He  knew  not  what  else  to  say. 

"  I — I  will — will  settle  with  you  for  this  an- 
other time,"  came  tartly  from  Job  Haskers. 

"  Oh,  come  on,  what's  the  use  of  talking  to 
them?  "  growled  Link  Merwell.  "  Some  day  I'll 
show  them  what  I  can  do!  "  And  he  moved  on 
along  the  ledge. 

"  Some  day  I  shall  square  up  for  this  gross  in- 
sult! "  stormed  Job  Haskers,  and  then  he  followed 
Merwell,  and  Blugg  and  Jaley  came  behind  them. 
Soon  a  turn  in  the  ledge  hid  them  from  view  of 
our  friends. 

"  What  nerve !  "  burst  out  Phil. 

"  That  proves  they  are  after  the  mine,"  came 
from  Dave. 

"  Yes,  and  if  they  locate  it  they  will  try  to  prove 
that  it  wasn't  my  uncle's  mine  at  all!  "  burst  out 


254    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Roger,  bitterly.  "  I  suppose  they'll  destroy  all 
the  landmarks — that  is,  if  the  landslide  left  any 
of  them  standing — and  then  what  will  I  be  able  to 
do?" 

"  I  think  we  had  better  go  back  and  tell  the 
others  of  this,"  said  Dave.  "  After  this,  it  may 
pay  us  to  keep  an  eye  on  that  other  crowd." 

"  That's  so,"  returned  the  senator's  son. 

With  care  the  three  chums  retraced  their  steps, 
and  half  an  hour  later  found  them  with  Tom  Dil- 
lon and  Abe  Blower.  The  two  old  miners  listened 
with  close  attention  to  the  tale  of  their  encounter 
with  the  other  party. 

"  You  are  right;  we  must  watch  'em,"  said  Tom 
Dillon.  "  They  are  a  bad  lot  and  will  do  what 
they  can  to  make  trouble  for  us,  and  keep  us  from 
locating  the  lost  mine." 

"  I  wonder  where  they  are  camping?  "  said 
Phil. 

"  It  can't  be  very  far  from  here,"  replied  Dave. 
"  We  can  look  for  their  campfire  to-night,  if  you 
wish." 

"  If  they  don't  hide  it,"  remarked  Abe  Blower. 
"  And  by  that  same  token,  wouldn't  it  be  a  good 
idee  to  hide  our  own  fire?  "  he  continued,  turning 
to  Tom  Dillon. 

"  Sure!  "  was  the  prompt  answer. 

That  night  the  three  boys  climbed  several  tall 
rocks  in  the  vicinity  of  their  camp   and  looked 


PROWLERS  IN  CAMP  255 

around  with  care.  But  the  only  lights  that  they 
could  make  out  were  miles  away,  and  those  Abe 
Blower  stated  were  on  the  distant  railroad. 
Nothing  like  a  campfire  came  to  view. 

"  They  are  foxy  and  have  put  it  in  a  hollow," 
said  the  old  miner.  "  Wall,  we've  done  the  same 
thing,"  he  added,  chuckling. 

"  Oh,  if  only  we  could  locate  that  lost  mine  and 
put  up  our  stakes !  "  sighed  Roger.  "  But  it  looks 
like  next  to  a  hopeless  task,  doesn't  it,  Dave." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,  Roger,"  answered  our  hero, 
as  cheerfully  as  possible,  for  he  saw  that  his  chum 
was  much  downcast.  "  We  haven't  covered  the 
whole  of  the  ground  yet.  I  wouldn't  give  up 
hope,  if  I  were  you." 

"  I  didn't  think  it  was  going  to  be  such  a  job 
when  we  started,"  went  on  the  senator's  son. 
"  My,  what  rocks  we  have  climbed  over!  "  And 
he  rubbed  a  shin  from  which  some  skin  had  been 
scraped  that  afternoon. 

"  I  knew  it  would  be  a  hard  hunt,"  answered 
our  hero.  "And  why  not?  If  it  was  an  easy 
matter  to  locate  that  lost  mine,  Abe  Blower  or 
some  of  those  old  prospectors  would  have  done 
it  long  ago.  If  we  do  the  trick  I  think  it  will 
be  a  great  feather  in  our  cap — in  fact,  I  think  it 
will  be  more  of  a  lucky  accident  than  anything 
else." 

"  Just  my  way  of  looking  at  it,"  agreed  Phil. 


256    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  It's  a  regular  hide-and-seek  game,  this  locating 
a  mine  among  these  rocks." 

For  a  long  time  the  three  boys  sat  by  them- 
selves, talking  about  days  at  Oak  Hall,  and  about 
the  folks  left  at  home  and  about  those  now  travel- 
ing through  Yellowstone  Park.  It  seemed  a  long 
time  since  they  had  received  letters. 

"  I  suppose  there  are  letters  at  the  hotel  in 
Butte,"  said  Dave,  with  a  little  sigh. 

"  I'd  give  something  to  have  them  here,"  added 
Phil. 

"  If  only  I  knew  how  dad  was  making  out," 
murmured  the  senator's  son.  "  I  suppose  he  is 
waiting  every  day  to  hear  from  me !  " 

"  I  hope  the  folks  in  the  Park  are  having  a  good 
time,"  said  Dave,  after  a  pause.  "  I  suppose  the 
main  body  of  tourists  have  started  for  home  by 
now." 

"  Yes,  they  went  yesterday,  according  to  the 
advertised  plan,"  answered  Phil. 

"  I've  got  an  idea,"  said  our  hero,  after  another 
pause.  "  Do  you  see  that  hollow  just  below  here? 
Well,  we  haven't  looked  around  that  much.  Why 
not  try  it  to-morrow?  " 

"  Abe  Blower  and  Mr.  Dillon  both  seem  to 
think  the  opening  to  the  mine  was  above  that, 
Dave,"  said  Roger. 

"  True,  but  the  landslide  changed  things,  re- 
member.    We  may  now  find  an  opening  down 


PROWLERS  IN  CAMP  257 

there, — not  the  opening  your  uncle  made,  but  an- 
other, made  by  the  slide." 

"  It  won't  do  any  harm  to  look  down  there. 
While  we  are  here  I  am  going  to  look  in  every 
spot  I  can  reach." 

"Sure  thing!"  cried  Phil.  "But  say,  if  we 
are  going  to  climb  around  these  rocks  all  day  to- 
morrow I  am  going  to  bed  and  get  a  good  night's 
rest." 

"  I  guess  we  all  need  a  rest,  so  we'll  turn  in  at 
once,"  answered  Roger. 

Their  camp  was  located  between  the  rocks  and 
not  far  from  the  trail  by  which  they  had  come 
to  the  vicinity.  The  horses  were  tethered  at  a 
point  where  a  patch  of  coarse  undergrowth  gave 
them  something  to  nibble  at.  The  animals 
were  of  no  use  to  them,  now  they  were  in  the 
district  where  the  lost  mine  was  supposed  to  be 
located. 

It  was  a  little  after  nine  o'clock  when  the  boys 
turned  in,  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  two  old 
miners  followed  them.  So  far  they  had  not 
deemed  it  necessary  to  have  a  guard,  for  none  of 
their  enemies  nor  wild  beasts  had  come  to  annoy 
them. 

Roger  and  Phil  were  soon  sound  asleep,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  their  snoring  told  that  Abe 
Blower  and  Tom  Dillon  were  likewise  in  the  land 
of  dreams.     But  Dave,  for  some  reason  he  could 


258    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

not  explain,  was  restless,  and  he  turned  over  sev- 
eral times,  sighing  heavily. 

"  If  I  were  at  home  I  should  say  I  had  eaten 
too  much  supper,"  he  told  himself.  "  But  here 
rations  are  too  scarce.  I  don't  know  what  keeps 
me  awake,  unless  it  is  that  I'm  too  tired  to  go  to 
sleep." 

The  campfire  had  burned  so  low  that  the  spot 
was  almost  in  total  darkness.  There  was  no 
moon  and  only  a  few  stars  shone  in  the  sky, 
which  was  partly  obscured  by  clouds.  A 
gentle  breeze  was  stirring,  but  otherwise  all  was 
quiet. 

At  last  Dave  thought  that  if  he  had  a  drink  he 
might  go  to  sleep  with  more  ease,  and  he  turned 
over  to  sit  up  and  get  to  his  feet.  A  bucket  of 
water  was  close  at  hand,  so  he  would  not  have  to 
go  far  for  what  he  wanted. 

Just  as  Dave  sat  up  he  saw  something  that 
startled  him.  A  dark  figure  was  moving  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  camp,  coming  closer  slowly. 

At  first  the  youth  could  not  make  out  if  the 
figure  was  a  man  or  an  animal.  He  strained  his 
eyes  and  then  made  out  the  form  of  a  person. 

At  once  our  hero  thought  of  Link  Merwell  and 
those  with  him.  It  must  be  one  of  their  enemies, 
and  if  so,  what  had  brought  him  to  this  spot  at 
such  an  hour  of  the  night? 

"  Maybe  he  is  after  our  horses,"  reasoned  the 


PROWLERS  IN  CAMP  259 

youth,  and  then  he  dropped  down  again  and  rolled 
over  to  where  Roger  was  lying.  He  shook  his 
chum  and  at  the  same  time  placed  a  hand  over  the 
other's  mouth. 

"Roger!  Don't  make  any  noise!"  he  whis- 
pered.    "  Somebody  is  coming  here  in  the  dark." 

The  senator's  son  awoke  and  heard  what  was 
said.  Then,  as  Dave  took  away  his  hand,  he 
whispered: 

"Where  is  he?     Who  is  it?" 

"  There  he  is,"  and  Dave  pointed  with  his  hand. 
"  I  don't  know  who  it  is,  but  I  guess  it  is  one  of 
Link's  crowd." 

"  I'll  wake  up  Phil,  and  we  can  watch  the  ras- 
cal," said  Roger,  and  this  was  done,  although  not 
without  difficulty,  for  the  shipowner's  son  was  in- 
clined to  give  a  yell  when  aroused  from  such  a 
sound  slumber. 

"Who — who  is  it?"  he  stammered.  "Say, 
maybe  we  had  better  get  our  pistols  ready!  "  And 
he  felt  for  his  weapon. 

"  I've  got  mine  all  ready,"  answered  Dave. 

"  And  here  is  mine,"  whispered  Roger.  "  If 
that  fellow  thinks  he  is  coming  here  unseen,  wont 
he  be  surprised!  " 

"Hush!"  came  softly  from  Dave.  "Look 
behind  him!     There  is  a  second  fellow  coming!  " 

Our  hero  was  right,  a  second  figure  had  emerged 
from  the  shadow  of  some  rocks.     The  two  per- 


260    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

sons  were  coming  along  slowly,  as  if  to  make 
certain  that  they  were  not  being  observed. 

"  I  know  that  second  fellow !  "  whispered  Dave, 
a  moment  later.  "  See  how  tall  and  thin  he  is. 
It's  old  Haskers  !  " 

"  Yes,  and  the  other  fellow  is  Link  Merwell," 
replied  Roger,  a  second  later. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 


THE   TWO   PRISONERS 


The  three  chums  were  right;  the  two  persons 
who  were  approaching  the  camp  on  the  mountain- 
side so  stealthily  were  Link  Merwell  and  Job  Has- 
kers. 

They  came  on  step  by  step,  looking  ahead  and 
to  either  side,  as  if  on  the  alert  to  flee  at  the  first 
sign  of  danger. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  they  are  after?  "  asked 
Phil,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Hush!  We'll  watch  them  and  see,"  returned 
Dave. 

"  Let  us  pretend  to  be  asleep,"  advised  Roger. 
"  But  He  so  you  can  keep  an  eye  on  them." 

The  boys  had  been  crouching  low,  but  now  all 
followed  the  advice  of  the  senator's  son  and  fell 
back,  as  if  in  slumber.  Then  they  rolled  over  and, 
with  their  hands  on  their  weapons,  watched  the 
approach  of  the  others. 

At  last  Merwell  and  Haskers  were  within  fifty 
feet  of  those  around  the  dying  campfire.  They 
had  been  talking  in  a  low  voice,  but  now  both 

261 


262    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

were  silent,  as  if  this  had  been  agreed  upon.  Mer- 
well  was  slightly  in  advance  and  he  pointed  to  the 
outfit  of  the  Morr  crowd.  This  lay  between  some 
rocks  and  covered  with  a  rubber  cloth,  so  that  the 
eatables  might  not  be  spoiled  by  the  weather. 

Job  Haskers  nodded,  to  show  that  he  under- 
stood, and  both  of  the  intruders  tiptoed  their  way 
towards  the  stores.  Noiselessly  they  raised  the 
rubber  cover  and  placed  it  on  the  ground.  Then 
both  commenced  to  pack  the  stores  in  the  cloth. 

It  was  plainly  to  be  seen  now  what  the  rascals 
meant  to  do.  They  were  going  to  make  off  with 
our  friends'  stores,  thereby  perhaps  making  it  nec- 
essary for  them  to  give  up  the  hunt  for  the  mine 
and  go  back  to  the  nearest  place  where  more  stores 
could  be  procured.  For  among  those  barren  rocks 
but  little  could  be  found  for  the  mine-hunters  to 
eat.  They  might  get  a  shot  at  some  wild  beast, 
but  that  was  all. 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  whispered  Phil,  who  was 
growing  impatient  watching  proceedings. 

"  When  I  give  the  signal,  jump  up  and  cover 
them  with  your  pistols,"  replied  Roger. 

"  Oh,  I  wouldn't  shoot  them,"  urged  Dave,  who 
dreaded  to  think  of  bloodshed  under  any  circum- 
stances. 

"  Well,  we'll  scare  'em,"  returned  the  senator's 
son.  "  We'll  teach  'em  that  they  can't  come  near 
this  camp." 


THE  TWO  PRISONERS  263 

He  waited  until  Merwell  and  Haskers  were  on 
the  point  of  lifting  the  rubber  cloth  with  the  stores 
tied  within  it.  Then  he  leaped  up,  and  Dave  and 
Phil  did  the  same. 

"Hands  up,  you  rascals!"  cried  Roger. 
"  Hands  up,  or  we'll  fire  at  you!  " 

"Oh!"  cried  Link  Merwell,  in  consternation, 
and  up  went  his  hands. 

"  Don't  shoot  me !  I  beg  of  you,  don't  shoot !  " 
screamed  Job  Haskers,  and  he,  too,  dropped  his 
hold  of  the  bundle  and  sent  his  hands  in  the  air. 
Then,  catching  sight  of  the  pistols,  he  dropped  on 
his  knees.  "  Oh,  Morr,  please  don't  shoot! 
Porter,  I  beg  of  you,  have  mercy!  And  you, 
Lawrence,  please  point  that  weapon  away!  It — 
it  might  go  off !  " 

"  This  is  a  fine  piece  of  business  to  be  engaged 
in,"  said  Roger,  sternly.  "  Trying  to  steal  our 
stores." 

"  It— is — was — er — all  a  mistake,"  whined  the 
former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall. 

"  You  won't  dare  to  shoot,"  put  in  Link  Mer- 
well. "  You  won't  dare !  "  He  tried  to  be  brave 
but  his  voice  was  shaky. 

"  What's  the  row  here?  "  burst  in  another  voice, 
and  Abe  Blower  sprang  up,  followed  by  Tom 
Dillon. 

"  Hello,  them  two  skunks!  "  cried  Tom  Dillon. 
"What  do  they  want?  " 


264    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  They  wanted  to  make  off  with  our  stores," 
answered  Dave,  and  pointed  to  the  goods  tied  up 
in  the  rubber  cloth. 

"  So  that's  the  trick,  eh?  "  bellowed  Abe  Blower. 

"  First  the  hosses  an'  now  the  stores!  "  roared 
Tom  Dillon.  "  Humph!  Ye  deserve  to  be  shot 
full  o'  holes !  "  he  went  on,  for  he  had  lived  in 
the  times  when  the  stealing  of  a  horse,  or  of  a 
miner's  food,  was  considered  by  everybody  a  capi- 
tal offense. 

"  I — I  beg  of  you,  have  mercy !  "  cried  Job  Has- 
kers,  as  he  got  unsteadily  to  his  feet.  "  I — I — 
this  was  not  my  plan  at  all — Merwell  suggested  it. 
We — we  were  not  going  to — er — to  steal  any- 
thing." 

"No?  Then  wot  was  ye  goin'  ter  do?"  de- 
manded Abe  Blower,  sarcastically. 

"  We  were — er — only  going  to  hide  the  stuff," 
stammered  Link  Merwell,  and  he  glared  at  Job 
Haskers  savagely  for  having  tried  to  place  the 
responsibility  of  the  raid  on  his  shoulders. 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it!  "  came  sternly 
from  Tom  Dillon.  "  You  wanted  to  leave  us  to 
starve  here,  or  compel  us  to  go  back  to  town — 
so  you  could  hunt  for  that  lost  mine  alone.  I  see 
through  the  trick.  We  ought  to  shoot  you  down 
like  dogs !  " 

"  It's  jest  wot  they  deserve,  consarn  'em,"  mut- 
tered Abe  Blower. 


THE  TWO  PRISONERS  265 

"  We  don't  want  anybody  shot!  "  said  Dave,  to 
his  chums.  He  saw  that  the  two  old  miners  were 
angry  enough  to  do  almost  anything. 

"  Let  us — er — go  this  time  and  we'll  never 
bother  you  again,"  pleaded  Job  Haskers.  He 
was  so  scared  he  could  scarcely  speak. 

"  Step  over  here,  by  this  rock,  and  keep  your 
hands  up,"  said  Tom  Dillon.  "  We'll  talk  this 
over  a  bit  further." 

There  was  no  help  for  it,  for  Merwell  and  Has- 
kers were  now  virtually  prisoners.  They  stepped 
to  the  position  mentioned,  with  their  hands  still 
upraised. 

"  Go  through  'em,  Abe,"  went  on  Tom  Dillon. 
"  Take  their  shootin'  irons  away  from  'em." 

"  See  here "  commenced  Merwell,  when  a 

stern  look  from  the  old  miner  stopped  him.  Has- 
kers said  nothing,  for  he  was  still  fearful  of  being 
shot. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  two  intruders  were  dis- 
armed by  Abe  Blower.  While  this  was  being 
done  Roger  whispered  to  Dave. 

"  Don't  you  think  we  ought  to  search  'em  thor- 
oughly?" he  asked.  "They  may  have  some- 
thing belonging  to  me — some  map  of  the  lost 
mine,  or  something  like  that?  I  don't  exactly  re- 
member what  I  had  in  that  suit-case  Merwell  got 
from  the  porter  on  the  train." 

"  Certainly,   we'll   have   them   well   searched," 


266    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

declared  Dave,  and  spoke  to  Tom  Dillon  about  it. 
As  a  consequence,  despite  their  protests,  Abe 
Blower  turned  out  every  pocket  of  the  prisoners. 

"  There  is  one  of  my  letters !  "  cried  Roger. 
"  It  tells  about  the  Landslide  Mine.  I  had  for- 
gotten it,"  and  he  put  the  communication  in  his 
pocket. 

But  little  else  of  value  belonging  to  Roger  was 
found,  and  their  own  things  the  prisoners  were 
allowed  to  retain,  all  but  their  weapons.  Those, 
even  to  their  pocket-knives,  Tom  Dillon  confis- 
cated. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  with  us?"  asked 
Link  Merwell,  surlily,  after  the  search  was  at  an 
end. 

"  We'll  tie  'em  up  for  the  night,"  said  Tom  Dil- 
lon.    "  Boys,  get  a  couple  of  ropes." 

"  Tie  us  up !  "  exclaimed  Job  Haskers,  in  new 
alarm. 

"  Exactly." 

"  And  in  the — er — morning ?  "  faltered  the 

former  teacher  of  Oak  Hall. 

"  We'll  see  what  we'll  do  with  you  after  break- 
fast," answered  the  old  miner,  briefly. 

"  Say,  wot  did  ye  do  with  them  other  fellers?  " 
demanded  Abe  Blower,  while  Dave  and  Phil  were 
getting  the  ropes. 

"  We  left  them  in  camp." 

"Is  Staver  with  'em?"  asked  Tom  Dillon. 


THE  TWO  PRISONERS  267 

"  No,  his  hand  hurt  him  so  he  went  back  to 
town  to  have  a  doctor  look  after  it,"  replied  Mer- 
well. 

"  Is  he  coming  back  here?  " 

"  He  said  he  thought  not — at  least,  not  for  the 
present." 

"  Do  you  think  those  others  will  come  here  to- 
night? "  asked  Dave,  as  he  came  with  a  rope,  fol- 
lowed by  Phil  with  another  rope. 

"  We'll  stand  guard,  lad,  and  see,"  answered 
Tom  Dillon. 

Much  against  their  will,  Link  Merwell  and  Job 
Haskers  were  bound,  hands  and  feet.  Then  each 
was  made  fast  to  a  rock  not  far  from  the  camp- 
fire. 

"  We'll  take  turns  at  guarding  the  camp,"  said 
Tom  Dillon.  "  Two  hours  each  every  night  after 
this;  "  and  so  it  was  arranged. 

Now  that  he  was  sure  he  was  not  to  be  shot, 
Job  Haskers  was  very  indignant  over  being  bound. 

"  It  isn't  a  bit  gentlemanly,"  he  said,  to  Dave. 

"  We  won't  argue  the  point,"  returned  our 
hero,  briefly.  He  was  disgusted  with  both  Mer- 
well and  Haskers,  and  he  wished  they  might  both 
go  away  and  that  he  would  never  see  them  again. 

As  he  was  so  restless,  Dave  said  he  would  be 
the  first  one  of  the  party  to  stand  guard,  and,  ac- 
cordingly, the  others  turned  in  as  before,  dropping 
off  to   sleep  one   after  another.      Merwell  was 


268    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

inclined  to  talk  and  argue,  but  Dave  would  not 
listen. 

"  I  am  done  with  you,  Link,"  he  said.  "  And 
I  am  done  with  Haskers,  too.  All  I  want  you  to 
do  is  to  leave  me  alone  in  the  future." 

"  You  let  us  go,  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you," 
growled  Link  Merwell. 

When  his  two  hours'  guard  duty  came  to  an  end, 
Dave  called  Roger,  who  in  turn  called  Phil.  The 
shipowner's  son  was  still  very  sleepy,  and  he 
yawned  deeply  as  he  arose. 

"  As  soon  as  two  hours  are  up  you  call  Abe 
Blower,"  said  Roger. 

"  I  sure  will!  "  declared  Phil.  "  I'm  not  half 
slept  out  yet !  " 

Roger  was  tired  himself  and  was  soon  in  the 
land  of  dreams.  Phil  walked  around  the  camp 
several  times,  to  keep  himself  awake,  and  then 
sat  down  on  a  rock  to  rest. 

Alas !  that  rest  was  an  ill-advised  one  for  the 
son  of  the  rich  shipowner.  As  he  sat  there, 
Phil's  chin  sank  lower  and  lower  on  his  breast  and 
presently  his  eyes  closed  and  he  fell  asleep !  And 
thus  over  two  hours  passed. 

"Hello!" 

The  cry  came  from  Abe  Blower,  as  he  turned 
and  sat  up.  It  was  growing  light  in  the  east  and 
the  old  miner  thought  it  was  time  to  get  up. 

He  directed  his  cry  at  Phil,  who  was  huddled 


THE  TWO  PRISONERS  269 

up  on  the  rock.  Phil  did  not  budge,  and  the  old 
miner  leaped  up  and  shook  him. 

"  I  say "  commenced  the  youth,  and  then 

stared  around  him  in  astonishment.  "  Why  I — 
I  must  have  dropped  asleep !  "  he  faltered. 

"You  sure  did!"  cried  Abe  Blower.  He 
gazed  around  swiftly.     "Was  you  on  guard?" 

"  Yes,  and  the  prisoners " 

"Are  gone!" 

"Oh!" 

Phil's  cry  awoke  all  the  others  in  the  camp. 
One  after  another  looked  at  the  youth  and  then 
at  the  spot  where  Merwell  and  Haskers  had  been 
tied  to  the  rocks.  The  ropes  lay  there,  but  the 
two  former  prisoners  had  vanished ! 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE   LOST   LANDSLIDE   MINE 

"  They  cut  the  ropes !  See,  here  is  where  it 
was  done,  on  this  jagged  rock!  " 

As  Dave  spoke  he  pointed  to  a  sharp  edge  of 
stone.  Beneath  it  were  bits  of  rope,  showing  how 
the  fetters  had  been  sawed  in  twain. 

"  One  of  'em  must  have  got  loose  and  then 
freed  the  other,"  remarked  Roger. 

"But  who  was  on  guard?"  demanded  Tom 
Dillon,  sharply.  He  looked  at  the  boys  and  then 
at  Abe  Blower. 

"  I  was,  but  I — I  guess  I  fell  asleep,"  faltered 
Phil,  sheepishly,  and  grew  red  in  the  face. 

"  Fell  asleep !  "  cried  Abe  Blower.  "  I  guess 
you  did !  "  And  his  tone  of  voice  showed  his 
disgust. 

"  I — I  am  awfully  sorry,"  continued  the  ship- 
owner's son.  "  I — I  really  don't  know  how  it 
happened.     It  wasn't  the  thing  to  do." 

"  Never  mind,  it's  done  and  that's  the  end  of 
it,"  put  in  Roger,  quickly,  for  he  could  see  how 
badly  his  chum  felt  over  the  occurrence.  "  I 
guess  you  were  pretty  tired." 

270 


THE  LOST  LANDSLIDE  MINE         271 

"  I  was,  Roger.  Just  the  same,  I  had  no  busi- 
ness to  fall  asleep.  I'm  mad  enough  to  kick  my- 
self full  of  holes,"  went  on  Phil,  grimly. 

"  Let  us  see  if  they  took  anything  with  'em," 
came  from  Tom  Dillon,  as  he  turned  to  where 
their  things  and  the  animals  were,  but  they  had 
not  been  disturbed. 

"  I  guess  they  were  too  scared  to  touch  any- 
thing," declared  Dave.  "  They  were  glad  enough 
to  save  themselves.  I  imagine  they  ran  away  as 
soon  as  they  were  free."  And  in  this  surmise 
our  hero  was  correct.  Link  had  been  the  one  to 
sever  his  bonds  and  he  had  untied  Job  Haskers, 
and  then  both  of  them  had  lost  not  an  instant  in 
quitting  the  locality,  being  afraid  that  some  of  the 
others  might  awaken  before  they  could  make  good 
their  escape. 

"  Well,  I  am  just  as  well  satisfied,"  whispered 
Roger  to  Dave  and  Phil.  "  I  didn't  want  to  hold 
them,  anyway.  All  I  want  them  to  do  is  to  leave 
us  alone." 

"  But  you  don't  want  them  to  discover  the  lost 
mine,  Roger,"  returned  our  hero. 

"Oh,  certainly  not!  We'll  have  to  keep  on 
the  watch  for  them  as  well  as  look  for  the  mine," 
answered  the  senator's  son. 

A  search  was  made,  and  it  was  soon  ascertained 
that  their  enemies  were  nowhere  in  that  vicinity. 
Then  breakfast  was  had,   and  a  little  later  the 


272    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

search  for  the  lost  Landslide  Mine  was  con- 
tinued. 

As  before,  the  different  members  of  the  party 
separated,  and  thus  the  day  went  by.  Several 
times  one  or  another  of  the  boys  or  the  men 
thought  he  had  found  some  landmark,  but  each 
time  the  clew  proved  a  false  one. 

"  It  looks  as  if  we  were  going  to  be  stumped, — 
just  as  those  other  searching  parties  were 
stumped,"  remarked  Roger,  dismally.  "  Maybe 
the  lost  mine  will  remain  lost  forever !  "  and  he 
sighed  deeply. 

"Oh,  I  wouldn't  give  up  yet!"  cried  Dave, 
cheerfully.  "  We  have  still  some  more  ground 
to  cover." 

"  Of  course,  we  have,"  said  Phil.  "  Oh,  we 
are  going  to  find  that  mine,  no  two  ways  about 
it!" 

"  I  hope  so,"  and  Roger  sighed  again.  He 
felt  that  if  the  mine  was  not  found,  matters  would 
look  pretty  blue  at  home  for  all  concerned. 

The  following  morning  dawned  bright  and 
clear,  with  no  warning  at  all  of  what  was  in  store. 
An  early  breakfast  was  had,  and  once  more  all 
hands  separated  in  the  hunt  for  landmarks  which 
might  guide  them  to  the  lost  mine. 

Dave  was  working  his  way  along  a  small  ridge 
of  outcropping  rocks,  when  he  came  to  one  rock 
that  stood  out  much  higher  than  the  rest.     From 


THE  LOST  LANDSLIDE  MINE         273 

this  point  he  gazed  around,  to  see  if  he  could 
locate  any  of  the  others  of  the  party. 

As  a  distance  he  made  out  Roger  and  Phil, 
who  had  just  come  together.  Then,  turning 
around,  he  glanced  below  him  and  made  out  sev- 
eral other  persons  on  a  lower  ridge  of  the  moun- 
tainside. 

"  Link  Merwell  and  Job  Haskers,  and  that  Sol 
Blugg  is  with  them,"  he  murmured.  "  Evidently 
they  are  not  going  to  give  up  the  hunt." 

Dave  watched  the  party  of  three  for  several 
minutes  and  then  continued  his  own  hunt.  Roger 
and  Phil  had  now  disappeared  from  view,  and 
Abe  Blower  and  Tom  Dillon  were  far  away, — 
almost  to  the  top  of  the  mountain. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  passed  and  Dave  dis- 
covered something  which  he  considered  worth 
investigating.  Just  above  his  head  was  an  open- 
ing between  the  rocks, —  an  irregular  slit 
fifteen  or  twenty  feet  high  and  two  to  four  feet 
wide. 

He  had  seen  many  openings  before,  but  this 
was  peculiar  for  the  reason  that  one  edge  of  the 
rocks  looked  as  if  it  had  been  drilled  and  blasted 
away.  More  than  this,  within  the  split  lay  the 
broken-off  handle  of  a  shovel. 

"  Oh,  what  if  I  have  found  the  lost  mine !  "  he 
thought.  "  That  shovel-handle  proves  that  some- 
body has  been  here,  and,  yes,  that  is  where  some- 


274    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

body  bored  into  the  rocks  and  set  off  a  blast!  I 
must  investigate  this,  and  if  it  looks  promising 
I'll  call  the  others.  No  use  in  exciting  Roger  un- 
less it's  worth  while." 

Dave  climbed  up  to  the  split  and  peered  within. 
All  was  so  dark  that  he  could  see  but  little.  Yet 
he  made  out  what  looked  to  be  a  fairly  level  bit  of 
flooring  and  he  swung  himself  to  this,  first,  how- 
ever, placing  his  handkerchief  on  a  rock  outside, 
for  it  had  been  agreed  that  if  anybody  went  into 
any  sort  of  opening  he  should  leave  something 
behind,  so  that  the  others,  coming  that  way,  might 
know  where  he  was. 

Each  of  the  party  had  provided  himself  with  a 
dry  stick  of  wood,  to  use  for  a  torch  if  one  was 
required,  and  Dave  now  lit  the  stick  he  carried 
and  swung  it  into  a  blaze.  With  this  in  hand  he 
commenced  an  inspection  of  the  opening  he  had 
discovered. 

The  cave,  if  such  it  can  be  called,  proved  to  be 
long  and  narrow, — little  more  than  a  split  in  the 
rocks.  At  some  points  the  roofing  was  out  of 
sight.  The  flooring,  too,  was  irregular,  and  our 
hero  had  to  proceed  with  care,  for  pitfalls  were 
numerous  and  he  had  no  desire  to  tumble  into  one 
of  these. 

"  This  mountainside  is  a  good  deal  like  Cave 
Island,"  he  muttered,  as  he  advanced.  "  That 
was  honeycombed  with  caves  and  so  is  this.     No 


THE  LOST  LANDSLIDE  MINE         275 

wonder  they  have  landslides  here.  The  ground 
and  rocks  are  bound  to  settle,  with  so  many  open- 
ings to  fill  up." 

He  had  gone  forward  about  a  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  when  he  found  the  opening  leading  upward. 
Then  of  a  sudden  he  gave  a  cry  of  wonder  and 
delight. 

Just  ahead  of  him  were  a  number  of  heavy  tim- 
bers, such  as  are  used  for  shoring  in  mines.  And 
among  the  timbers  lay  a  pick  and  a  crowbar  and 
the  remains  of  a  smashed  lantern. 

At  that  instant  Dave  remembered  one  thing 
that  Roger  had  told  him,  which  was  that  Maurice 
Harrison  had  always  branded  all  of  his  tools  with 
his  initials.  Eagerly,  our  hero  caught  up  the  pick 
and  held  the  handle  in  the  light  of  his  torch. 
There,  on  the  broad  part  of  the  pick's  handle, 
were  the  initials: 

M.H. 

"It's  the  lost  mine!"  shouted  the  youth. 
"  The  lost  mine  as  sure  as  fate!  Oh,  I  must  get 
out  and  tell  Roger  and  the  others  of  this!  " 

But  then  he  hesitated.  What  if  this  should 
prove  to  be  only  some  abandoned  "  prospect  "  and 
not  the  real  mine  at  all? 

"  I'd  better  look  around  a  little  first  and  make 
sure,"  he  reasoned.     "  If  I  can  only  find  some 


276    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

of  the  gold  Mr.  Harrison  spoke  about,  I'd  be 
sure." 

He  looked  at  the  lantern  and  the  crowbar  and 
saw  that  both  contained  the  initials  found  on  the 
pick.  He  placed  the  three  articles  in  a  heap,  and 
then  climbed  over  the  broken  timbers  to  the  open- 
ing beyond.  As  he  did  this  a  current  of  pure, 
cold  air  struck  him. 

"  There  must  be  other  openings  to  this  cave  or 
mine,"  he  reasoned.  "  Otherwise  it  wouldn't  be 
so  well  ventilated.  Well,  I'm  glad  to  have  the 
fresh  air.  Where  is  that  gold?  If  this  is  really 
the  mine  I  ought  to  see  some  of  it  in  the  rocks." 

He  walked  along,  throwing  the  light  of  his 
torch  on  the  rocks  as  he  did  so.  For  several 
minutes  he  saw  nothing  that  looked  like  gold,  and 
his  heart  sank.  But  suddenly  he  gave  a  low 
whistle  and  in  his  excitement  almost  dropped  his 
torch. 

For  in  a  crack  of  the  rocks  he  had  come  across 
a  small  "  pocket,"  as  it  is  termed  by  miners.  In 
the  pocket  lay  a  quantity  of  sand,  and  on  top  of 
this  an  irregular  object  about  as  large  as  a  small 
hen's  egg. 

"  A  nugget!  A  nugget  of  gold!  r'  cried  Dave, 
as  he  rubbed  it  off  and  inspected  it  by  the  light  of 
the  torch.  "  A  nugget  of  gold  just  as  sure  as 
sure  can  be!     Oh,  this  must  be  the  lost  mine!  " 

In  feverish  haste  he  set  his  torch  up  in  a  crack 


THE  LOST  LANDSLIDE  MINE         277 

of  the  rocks  and  commenced  to  scoop  the  sand 
from  the  pocket  with  his  hands.  Out  came  an- 
other nugget  and  then  another,  and  then  half  a 
dozen,  all  about  the  size  of  hickory  nuts.  Then 
the  pocket  grew  so  deep  and  narrow  he  could  not 
reach  down  into  it.  He  took  up  the  crowbar,  and 
with  it  ascertained  that  the  opening  with  the  sand 
and  nuggets  was  of  unknown  depth. 

"  It's  the  lost  Landslide  Mine!  "  said  Dave  to 
himself.  "  The  lost  mine  beyond  a  doubt,  and 
all  this  gold  belongs  to  Mrs.  Morr!  Oh,  won't 
Roger  be  glad  when  I  tell  him  the  glorious  news !  " 

Gathering  up  the  nuggets  he  had  found,  Dave 
placed  them  in  his  pocket  to  show  to  the  others, 
and  then  started  to  leave  the  place. 

As  he  did  this,  he  heard  a  peculiar  rumbling 
sound,  coming  from  a  distance.  He  stopped  to 
listen,  and  the  rumble  grew  louder  and  louder. 

"What  in  the  world  can  that  be?"  he  asked 
himself.  "  Sounds  like  a  train  of  cars  rushing 
through  a  tunnel.     I  wonder Oh !  " 

Dave  stopped  short,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  a 
sudden  chill  passed  over  him.  The  very  rocks  on 
which  he  was  standing  had  begun  to  quake.  Then 
from  overhead  several  stones  fell,  one  so  close 
that  it  brushed  his  shoulder. 

"  It's  an  earthquake,  or  another  landslide!  "  he 
gasped.  "  I  must  get  out  of  this,  or  I'll  be  buried 
alive!" 


278    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

And  then,  torch  in  hand,  he  started  for  the 
opening  to  the  mine. 

He  had  hardly  covered  half  the  distance  to  the 
outer  air  when  there  came  another  quaking,  and 
more  rocks  fell,  one  hitting  him  on  the  arm.  The 
torch  was  knocked  from  his  hand  and  he  tripped 
and  fell.  Then  came  a  crash  and  a  roar,  and  to 
Dave  it  seemed  as  if  the  end  of  the  world  had 
come.  He  was  more  than  half-stunned,  and  he 
fell  against  a  wall  of  rocks,  wondering  what  would 
happen  next. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 


ANOTHER    LANDSLIDE 


It  was  another  landslide,  crashing  and  roaring 
down  the  side  of  the  mountain,  carrying  rocks, 
dirt,  and  brushwood  before  it.  The  earth  roared 
and  shook,  and  it  was  said  afterwards  that  the 
slide  could  be  heard  many  miles  away. 

Down  in  the  mine  that  he  had  but  just  discov- 
ered, Dave  remained  crouching  against  a  wall  of 
rock,  murmuring  a  prayer  for  his  safe  deliverance 
from  the  peril  that  encompassed  him.  Every 
moment  he  expected  would  be  his  last — that  those 
rocky  walls  would  crash  in  on  him  and  become  his 
tomb.  Roar  followed  roar,  as  the  landslide  con- 
tinued and  more  rocks  fell.  Then  the  air  around 
him  seemed  to  be  compressed,  until  he  could 
scarcely  breathe. 

"  Oh,  if  I  were  only  out  of  this!  "  he  thought, 
and  at  that  moment  he  would  have  gladly  given 
all  he  was  worth  to  have  been  in  the  outer  air  once 
more. 

Gradually  the  roaring  and  the  quaking  ceased, 
and   Dave  breathed   a    little   more    freely.      He 

279 


280    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

groped  around  in  the  darkness  and  managed  to 
locate  the  fallen  torch,  which  still  glowed  faintly. 
He  swung  it  into  a  blaze  with  nervous  energy. 

Was  the  landslide  at  an  end?  Fervidly  he 
prayed  that  it  was.  Torch  in  hand,  he  tried  to 
make  his  way  to  the  spot  where  he  had  entered 
the  mine. 

He  soon  found  this  impossible,  for  the  reason 
that  the  passageway  had  shifted,  and  huge  rocks 
blocked  his  way.  Several  times  he  tried  to  climb 
over  the  rocks,  only  to  fall  back  helplessly.  He 
cut  his  hands  and  broke  his  finger-nails,  but  this 
availed  him  nothing. 

"But  I've  got  to  get  out!  I've  got  to!  "  he 
told  himself,  over  and  over  again.  "  I  can't  stay 
here!  "  And  then  he  tried  to  climb  the  rocks  in 
front  of  him  once  more. 

It  was  hard  work,  especially  with  the  torch  in 
hand.  Once  Dave  tried  to  carry  the  torch 
between  his  teeth,  but  it  was  too  short,  and  his 
face  was  scorched,  while  the  smoke  almost 
strangled  him. 

Suddenly  he  slipped  on  some  wet  rocks  and 
went  down  and  down,  he  knew  not  whither.  He 
was  stunned  by  the  fall,  and  the  precious  light 
slid  from  his  grasp  and  rolled  several  yards  away. 

"  Oh!  "  he  murmured,  as  he  gathered  his  scat- 
tered senses  and  arose  slowly  to  his  feet.  Then 
he  saw  that  the  torch  was  on  the  point  of  going 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  281 

out  and  he  made  a  dash  for  it,  and  swung  it  once 
again  into  a  faint  blaze. 

As  he  stepped  around  he  noticed  something  else 
that  added  to  his  dismay.  In  his  fall  he  had 
twisted  his  left  ankle,  which  gave  a  twitch  that 
made  him  shut  his  teeth  hard,  to  keep  from  crying 
out  with  pain. 

"  Oh,  I  hope  I  haven't  broken  it !  "  he  muttered. 
"  However  am  I  going  to  walk  on  it,  even  if  it  is 
broken?  " 

In  sheer  desperation  he  commenced  to  climb  up 
the  wet  rocks  down  which  he  had  tumbled.  The 
ankle  hurt  not  a  little,  yet  in  his  excitement  the 
youth  scarcely  noticed  the  pain.  His  one  thought 
was  to  get  out  of  the  cave  before  another  land- 
slide or  earthquake  occurred. 

A  few  minutes  later  found  Dave  on  the  level 
from  which  he  had  fallen.  As  he  scrambled  over 
the  rocks  something  caught  the  glare  of  the  torch- 
light.    The  youth  picked  up  the  object. 

"Another  nugget!"  he  told  himself.  "The 
place  must  be  full  of  them!  " 

But  what  good  would  these  nuggets  be  to  him 
or  his  friends  if  he  could  not  get  out  of  the  mine- 
cave?  He  was  deep  underground  and  this  new 
landslide  or  earthquake  might  bury  him  and  the 
contents  of  the  mine  forever ! 

"  I've  got  to  get  out !  "  he  repeated  over  and 
over  again.     "  I've  got  to  get  out  somehow!  " 


282    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

Trying  to  pierce  the  gloom  ahead,  Dave  swung 
his  torch  behind  him.  Was  he  mistaken,  or  was 
that  a  glimmer  of  daylight  in  the  distance?  He 
stumbled  forward,  over  some  loose  stones,  and 
presently  came  to  a  split  in  the  narrow  passage- 
way. 

From  overhead  came  a  faint  ray  of  daylight! 
He  almost  felt  like  giving  a  shout  of  joy,  so  wel- 
come was  the  sight.  But  then  his  heart  sank  once 
more  as  he  realized  that  the  thin  shaft  of  light 
came  from  a  split  in  some  rocks  which  were  fifty 
or  sixty  feet  above  his  head.  The  walls  were  so 
steep  and  slippery  that  to  scale  them  was  utterly 
out  of  the  question. 

In  front  of  Dave  was  now  a  solid  wall  of  rock, 
so  the  youth  knew  that  he  could  not  get  out  in 
that  direction.  With  a  heavy  heart  he  retraced 
his  steps,  trying  to  locate  the  opening  by  which 
he  had  entered  the  cave.  But  the  landslide,  or 
earthquake,  had  changed  the  surroundings  to  such 
an  extent  that  he  hardly  knew  how  to  turn  to 
make  the  next  move. 

A  youth  less  stout  of  heart  than  Dave  might 
have  sat  down  and  given  up  the  case  as  hopeless. 
But  our  hero  was  not  made  of  such  stuff.  He 
moved  on  slowly,  in  one  direction  and  then  an- 
other, trying  out  what  looked  as  if  they  might  be 
passages  to  the  outer  air. 

And  then  came  another  distant  rumble,  show- 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  283 

ing  that  the  earthquake,  or  landslide,  was  not  yet 
at  an  end.  The  boy  held  his  breath,  wondering  if 
it  would  come  closer  and  annihilate  him.  But 
the  rumble  remained  at  a  distance,  and  in  less  than 
a  minute  passed  away  completely. 

"Thank  fortune,  that  didn't  come  here !  "  he 
murmured,  and  passed  his  hand  over  his  forehead, 
upon  which  the  thick  beads  of  cold  perspiration 
had  gathered.  He  strained  his  ears  for  several 
seconds  longer,  but  all  around  him  was  now  as 
silent  as  a  tomb. 

"Oh,  I  must  get  out!"  he  muttered,  despair- 
ingly. "  I  must!  There  must  be  some  kind  of 
an  opening  somewhere  !  " 

Again  he  stumbled  onward,  into  one  pas3age- 
way  after  another.  Once  the  place  was  so  nar- 
row that  he  became  fairly  wedged  fast  and  had 
all  he  could  do  to  draw  back.  Then  a  sudden  chill 
swept  through  his  body,  making  his  teeth  chatter. 

Must  he  give  up?  Was  that  cave  to  become  his 
tomb? 

The  thought  forced  itself  upon  Dave  in  spite 
of  his  effort  to  take  a  more  cheerful  view  of  the 
situation.  He  was  hemmed  in — not  an  avenue  of 
escape  seemed  open. 

"I  won't  give  up!  I  won't!  I  won't!"  he 
muttered,  half  savagely,  and  got  up  from  the  rock 
on  which  he  had  sunk  down  to  rest.  Climbing 
around  in  that  place  where  the  footing  was  so 


284    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

uncertain  had  taken  both  his  wind  and  his 
strength,  and  he  was  panting,  and  his  knees  shook 
beneath  him.  Only  a  short  time  had  elapsed 
since  that  dreadful  first  shock  had  come,  yet  to 
the  youth  it  seemed  an  age. 

He  looked  at  the  torch.  It  had  burned  well 
down  and  would  not  last  much  longer.  And  when 
it  was  gone  he  would  be  left  in  total  darkness ! 

This  was  a  new  cause  for  fear,  and  it  made 
Dave  move  around  faster  than  ever. 

Suddenly  he  stopped  short.  A  new  sound  had 
reached  his  ears — a  strange,  weird  sound  that 
made  his  flesh  creep  and  his  hair  stand  on  end. 

It  was  the  cry  of  a  wildcat — shrill  and  uncanny 
in  that  pent-up  space.  Slowly  it  came  nearer, 
although  from  what  direction  our  hero  could  not 
at  first  make  out. 

He  waited  behind  a  spur  of  rocks  and  the  cry — 
it  was  more  a  whine  of  fright  than  anything  else — 
came  closer.  Then,  on  a  shelf  of  rocks  but  a 
short  distance  away,  Dave  caught  sight  of  the 
beast. 

It  was  limping  along  on  three  feet,  dragging  a 
bleeding  hind  leg  and  a  bleeding  tail  behind  it. 
Evidently  it  had  been  caught  between  the  falling 
stones  as  in  a  trap  and  had  pulled  itself  loose  in  a 
mad  effort  to  save  its  life. 

For  the  moment  Dave  forgot  his  other  perils  as 
he   faced  the  beast.      Evidently  the  wildcat  had 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  285 

scented  the  youth,  for  it  gave  a  savage  cry  as  of 
defiance.  Perhaps  it  thought  that  Dave  was  re- 
sponsible in  some  way  for  the  pain  it  was  suffering. 

The  youth's  hand  was  on  the  rocks  and  almost 
unconsciously  it  closed  on  a  sharp  stone  about  as 
big  as  his  fist.  Raising  the  stone,  he  took  quick 
aim  and  threw  it  at  the  wildcat. 

As  my  old  readers  know,  Dave  was  a  good 
baseball  player  and,  at  Oak  Hall,  had  often  filled 
the  pitcher's  box  with  credit.  He  threw  the  stone 
with  accuracy  and  vigor,  and  it  landed  fairly  and 
squarely  on  the  head  of  the  wildcat. 

There  was  a  weird  screech,  and  the  beast 
whirled  around  and  around  on  the  rocks,  coming 
closer  and  closer  to  our  hero.  Once  it  cluwed 
savagely  at  Dave,  but  he  shoved  the  creature  off 
before  any  damage  was  done.  Then  it  fell  down 
in  a  cleft  of  some  rocks,  where  it  snapped  and 
snarled  until  Dave  sent  down  a  heavy  boulder  on 
top  of  it,  thus  ending  its  misery. 

"Phew!"  gasped  the  youth,  after  the  excite- 
ment was  over.  "  That  was  almost  as  bad  as 
when  we  shot  the  mountain  lioness !  " 

He  had  dropped  the  end  of  his  torch,  but  now 
picked  it  up  once  more  and  commenced  to  move 
around  as  before.  He  proceeded  blindly,  not 
knowing  in  what  direction  to  turn  to  reach  the 
outer  air. 

"Where  can  the  others  be?"  was  a  question 


286    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

he  asked  himself  more  than  once.  Were  they, 
too,  caught  underground,  or  had  the  awful  land- 
slide carried  them  down  into  the  valley  and  buried 
them? 

In  the  course  of  his  climbings  Dave  presently 
came  to  a  new  turn,  one  which  had  before  escaped 
his  attention.  This  turn  led  upward  and  gave  him 
fresh  hope.  But,  just  as  he  fancied  that  he  was 
getting  close  to  the  outer  air,  he  reached  a  flat 
wall,  and  further  progress  in  that  direction  was 
out  of  the  question. 

His  heart  sank  like  lead  in  his  bosom,  and  he 
walked  slowly  back  to  the  point  from  which  he 
had  started.     How  to  turn  next  he  did  not  know. 

Half  an  hour  passed,  and  Dave  was  almost  in 
despair.  His  torch  had  reached  its  end  and  was 
on  the  point  of  going  out.  Then,  not  knowing 
what  else  to  do,  he  set  up  a  cry  for  help. 

There  came  no  reply,  and  he  cried  again.  Then 
he  pulled  out  his  pistol  and  fired  a  shot. 

The  discharge  of  the  weapon  echoed  and 
reechoed  throughout  the  cave  and  brought  down 
several  small  stones.  Then,  to  Dave's  intense 
surprise  and  joy,  an  answering  shot  came  back. 

"  Who  is  it?  "  he  yelled.  "  I  am  herel  This 
way !     This  way  !  " 

"  Hello !  "  was  the  long-drawn-out  answer,  com- 
ing from  some  point  that  appeared  to  be  over  his 
head.     "  Where — are — you  ?  " 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  287 

And  then,  as  Dave's  torch  gave  a  final  flicker 
and  went  out,  our  hero  saw  a  shaft  of  light  move 
over  the  rocks  above  his  head. 

"  It's  Roger's  flashlight!  "  he  told  himself,  and 
then  he  set  up  another  cry. 

The  rays  of  the  flashlight  became  stronger  and 
of  a  sudden  they  shot  downward,  directly  in 
Dave's  face. 

"It's  Dave!"  came  in  Roger's  voice.  "Are 
you  all  right?  " 

"  Yes,"  was  the  ready  reply.  "  That  you, 
Roger?" 

"  Yes.     Phil  is  with  me." 

"Were  you  hurt?" 

"  Shaken  up  a  bit,  that's  all,"  replied  Phil,  and 
now  Dave  saw  his  chums  standing  in  an  opening 
that  was  about  eight  feet  above  his  head. 

"  We  had  better  get  out  of  here,"  went  on 
Roger,  quickly.  "  Another  landslide  may  bury 
us  alive!  " 

"  I've  found  the  mine !  "  cried  Dave.  "  I've 
got  some  nuggets  from  it — and  a  pick,  a  crowbar, 
and  a  broken  lantern,  all  with  your  uncle's  initials 
on  them !  " 

"  Good  for  you !  "  cried  the  senator's  son. 
"  Phil  and  I  found  some  evidences  of  the  mine  up 
here — an  old  coat  of  my  uncle's  and  some  of  his 
stakes.  But  we  had  better  get  out  now — we  can 
talk  this  thing  over  later." 


288    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  I  can't  get  out  down  here — the  passageway 
is  blocked  with  rocks." 

"Did  you  get  in  from  below?"  cried  Phil. 
"  We  got  in  from  up  here." 

A  few  words  more  passed,  and  the  two  boys  on 
the  upper  ledge  of  rocks  passed  down  a  length  of 
rope  they  carried,  and  by  that  means  Dave  was 
soon  enabled  to  climb  up  and  join  them.  There 
were  no  more  quakes,  so  all  began  to  breathe  more 
freely.  Yet  they  felt  that  it  would  be  advisable 
to  leave  the  cave-mine  without  delay. 

"  It  certainly  is  the  lost  Landslide  Mine !  "  ex- 
claimed Roger.  "  Oh,  how  glad  I  am  that  it  has 
been  found!  And  how  glad  my  folks  will  be  to 
get  the  welcome  news !  "  Even  the  peril  of  the 
present  situation  could  not  rob  him  of  his  joy  over 
the  discovery  that  had  been  made. 

He  and  Phil  had  picked  up  several  small  nug- 
gets, so  that  all  were  sure  they  had  really  discov- 
ered the  lost  mine. 

"  But  they  will  have  to  be  careful  how  they 
work  this  mine,"  said  Dave,  as  he  walked  along 
with  his  chums.  "  They  can't  work  it  from  below 
— it  will  be  too  dangerous." 

"  Oh,  they'll  find  some  way,  don't  fear," 
answered  Roger.  "  As  long  as  they  know  the 
gold  is  there,  they'll  find  a  way  to  get  it." 

"  Where  are  the  others?  "  went  on  Dave,  as  he 
saw  daylight  ahead,  much  to  his  satisfaction. 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  289 

11  That  we  don't  know,"  answered  Phil.  "  But 
we  are  hoping  they  are  safe." 

"  By  the  way,  did  you  see  Merwell  and  Has- 
kers?"  cried  Dave,  suddenly. 

"  Why,  no — not  since  they  ran  away  from  our 
camp,"  returned  Roger. 

"  I  saw  them — just  before  I  found  this  opening. 
They  were  below  me,  the  two  of  them  and  Sol 
Blugg." 

"  Maybe  they  got  caught,"  muttered  Phil. 

No  more  was  said  just  then,  for  the  boys  had  to 
do  some  climbing  over  several  big  rocks,  and 
needed  their  breath.  Then  they  made  a  turn,  and 
a  moment  later  came  out  into  the  sunlight. 

"  Oh,  how  good  it  seems  to  be  out  in  the  air 
once  more!  "  murmured  Dave. 

"  Thank  heaven,  none  of  us  were  killed,"  added 
Roger. 

"  No  more  underground  exploring  for  me," 
avowed  Phil.  "  More  than  once  I  thought  we 
would  be  buried  alive !  " 

"  That  is  what  I  was  afraid  would  happen  to 
me,"  said  Dave,  seriously.  "  Yes,  we  can  all 
thank  heaven  we  are  out  of  it." 

"  And  now  to  hunt  up  Blower  and  Mr.  Dillon," 
came  from  the  senator's  son. 

"If  only  they  are  safe!"  murmured  Dave. 
For  the  time  being  those  who  had  been  on  the 
mountainside  below  them  were  forgotten. 


290    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

It  was  hard  work  to  make  their  way  from  rock 
to  rock.  All  the  trails  were  gone,  and  they  had 
to  proceed  with  extreme  care,  for  fear  of  dis- 
lodging some  rock  and  rolling  down  into  the  valley 
with  it. 

"  There  they  are !  " 

It  was  Dave  who  gave  utterance  to  the  cry, 
about  half  an  hour  later.  He  pointed  to  a  distant 
spur,  and  there,  sure  enough,  they  beheld  Abe 
Blower  and  Tom  Dillon.  The  old  miners  had  the 
horses  with  them. 

"I  wonder  if  they  were  hurt?"  queried  Phil. 

"  They  seem  to  be  all  right,"  returned  Roger. 
"  I  wish  they  would  look  this  way." 

"  We'll  have  to  signal  to  them,"  said  Dave. 

"How  are  you  going  to  do  it?"  asked  the 
shipowner's  son.  "  You  can't  call  to  them  at  such 
a  distance.     They  wouldn't  hear  you." 

"  We  can  give  'em  a  pistol  shot,  Phil." 

"  Why,  to  be  sure!  How  foolish  I  was,  not  to 
think  of  it!" 

"  I'll  fire  a  shot,"  said  Roger,  and  brought  out 
his  weapon. 

To  the  first  shot  there  was  no  reply,  but  when 
a  second  was  discharged  both  Abe  Blower  and 
Tom  Dillon  were  seen  to  turn  around.  Then  the 
boys  commenced  to  wave  their  hands  vigorously. 

"  They  see  us !  "  exclaimed  Dave,  half  a  minute 
later.     They  saw  the  two  old  miners  wave  their 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  291 

hands  in  return,  and  Abe  Blower  discharged  his 
pistol. 

"  See,  they  are  doing  some  kind  of  signalling!  " 
cried  Phil,  a  little  later. 

All  watched  with  interest.  They  saw  that  Abe 
Blower  had  taken  up  a  long  bit  of  brushwood  and 
was  waving  it  in  a  circle  to  the  northwest- 
ward. 

"  They  want  us  to  come  around  in  that  direc- 
tion!  "  said  Roger.  "Don't  you  think  so, 
Dave?" 

"  That's  the  way  it  strikes  me,"  was  our  hero's 
reply.  "  See,  what  is  left  of  the  trail  is  in  that 
direction.  But,  my!  how  the  whole  face  of  the 
mountain  is  changed !  " 

"  Not  much  trail  left!  "  grumbled  Phil.  "  If 
we  are  not  careful  we'll  break  our  necks  reaching 
them !  " 

"  We'll  have  to  take  it  slowly,"  answered  Dave. 

The  three  youths  set  out,  and  they  were  glad  to 
see  the  two  miners  do  the  same.  The  men  were 
on  horseback,  and  the  other  steeds  came  behind 
them. 

As  the  boys  had  surmised,  progress  was  diffi- 
cult, and  often  they  had  to  halt,  not  knowing  how 
to  proceed.  Here  and  there  they  could  see  a 
small  portion  of  a  trail,  but  for  the  most  part 
the  way  was  new  and  exceedingly  rough. 

"  If  they  ever  do  any  mining  here  they'll  have 


292     DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

to  spend  a  lot  of  time  first  building  a  roadway," 
was  Phil's  comment. 

"  If  the  mining  pays  it  won't  take  long  to  get 
a  roadway — and  bridges,  too,"  answered  Roger. 
"  Money  can  do  almost  anything,  you  know." 

"  Oh,  I  know  that." 

"  The  main  thing  will  be  to  guard  against  the 
landslides,"  said  Dave,  grimly.  "  But  I  guess 
they'll  know  how  to  do  that,  too." 

On  went  the  boys,  over  the  rough  rocks  and 
across  patches  of  freshly  turned  up  dirt.  All  were 
utterly  worn  out,  yet  not  one  of  them  complained. 

"There  they  are!"  cried  Dave,  some  time 
after  noon,  as  they  made  a  turn  around  some 
rocks;  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  friends  were  to- 
gether once  more. 

"  All  safe?  "  asked  Abe  Blower,  anxiously,  and 
then,  when  assured  that  no  harm  had  come  to  the 
boys,  he  added:    "  Mighty  glad  to  know  it!  " 

"  So  am  I  glad!  "  put  in  Tom  Dillon,  heartily. 
"  It  was  sure  some  landslide!  Almost  as  bad  as 
the  one  that  wiped  out  the  mine !  " 

"  We've  got  good  news !  "  cried  Roger.  "  We 
have  relocated  the  lost  mine!     Dave  did  it!  " 

"  You  and  Phil  did  it,  too,"  said  our  hero, 
modestly. 

"  Wot !  Have  ye  located  the  Landslide 
Mine?"  roared  Abe  Blower. 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  293 

"  We  sure  have,"  returned  Phil.  "  Look 
here !  "  And  he  brought  out  some  of  the  nuggets 
he  carried.  And  then  Roger  and  Dave  did  the 
same. 

"This  is  grand!"  exclaimed  Tom  Dillon. 
"  Nuggets,  an'  pretty  big  ones,  too.  But  how  do 
you  know  it's  the  mine?  " 

"  We  found  some  landmarks,"  answered  Roger. 
"  And  my  uncle's  coat  and  a  note-book " 

"  And  his  pick,  crowbar,  and  lantern,"  added 
Dave.  And  then  the  three  boys  told  their  story 
in  detail. 

"  It  must  be  the  lost  mine,"  said  Abe  Blower. 
"  An'  if  it  is,  I  congratulate  ye !  "  And  he  shook 
hands  all  around.  "  Tom,  they  got  ahead  o'  us," 
he  added,  with  a  grin. 

"  So  they  did,"  was  the  answer.  "  Well,  I'd 
rather  have  it  that  way  than  have  those  other 
fellers  locate  the  mine.  By  the  way,  I  wonder 
how  they  fared  in  the  landslide?  "  the  old  miner 
continued. 

"  Three  of  them,  Merwell,  Haskers,  and 
Blugg,  were  below  me,"  answered  Dave.  "  They 
were  over  yonder,"  and  he  pointed  with  his 
hand. 

"Wot!  Down  on  thet  ledge?"  cried  Abe 
Blower. 

"  Yes." 


294    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

"  Humph  !  Then  I  reckon  it's  all  up  with  'em," 
went  on  the  old  miner. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  asked  Roger. 

"  I  mean  it's  likely  they  was  wiped  out,"  was 
the  reply.  u  When  the  fust  quake  an'  slide  came 
I  was  lookin'  down  towards  thet  ledge.  I  saw 
some  heavy  rocks  go  down,  and  a  big  mass  o'  dirt, 
too,  an'  the  ledge  was  buried  out  o'  sight.  If 
they  was  down  thar,  it's  more'n  likely  they  was 
buried  alive !  " 

"  Oh,  I'd  hate  to  think  that!  "  cried  Dave,  with 
a  shudder. 

"Do  you  think  the  landslide  is  at  an  end?" 
asked  Phil,  anxiously. 

"  There  is  no  tellin'  about  that,  lad.  We'll  go 
up  on  the  mountain,  and  to  the  safest  place  we 
can  find,  and  then  wait,"  said  Tom  Dillon. 

This  was  done,  and  an  hour  later,  worn  out 
completely,  all  sat  down  to  rest  and  to  partake  of 
lunch.  They  could  look  far  along  the  mountain- 
side and  see  just  where  the  avalanche  of  rocks  and 
dirt  had  swept  downward,  a  portion  halting  here 
and  there,  and  the  remainder  going  clear  to  the 
valley  far  below. 

They  had  been  resting  about  an  hour  when  they 
saw  a  figure  approaching  on  foot.  It  was  a  man, 
hatless,  and  with  half  his  clothes  torn  from  his 
back.  As  he  came  closer  they  recognized  Larry 
Jaley. 


ANOTHER  LANDSLIDE  295 

"  Jaley,  where  are  you  going?  "  demanded  Tom 
Dillon. 

At  the  sound  of  the  miner's  voice  the  man 
halted  and  then  threw  up  his  hands.  Then  he 
staggered  forward  once  more. 

"Save  me!"  he  yelled,  wildly.  "Save  me! 
Don't  shoot  me!  Save  me  from  the  landslide!  " 
And  then  stumbling,  he  fell  at  the  feet  of  Dave  and 
his  friends. 

"  Are  you  alone?  "  asked  Abe  Blower. 

"Ye — yes!  Save  me!  Oh,  save  me !"  whined 
Jaley,  and  he  turned  a  face  full  of  fear  on  those 
before  him. 

"  Where  are  Merwell  and  Haskers  and 
Blugg?  "  asked  Dave. 

"  All  gone — swept  away  by  the  landslide !  "  was 
the  whining  reply.  "Oh,  it  was  awful!  It 
smashed  them  all  up — and  smashed  up  the  horses, 
too  !  Oh,  save  me  !  Save  me  !  "  And  then 
Larry  Jaley  gave  a  gasp  and  fell  in  a  heap,  unable 
to  say  another  word. 


CHAPTER    XXX 

THE  NEW  CLAIM — CONCLUSION 

"Poor  fellow,  he  is  scared  stiff!"  said  Dave, 
as  he  bent  over  the  shrinking  man. 

"  I  reckon  the  landslide  made  him  about  loony 
— thet  an'  seein'  them  others  carried  off  to  death," 
murmured  Abe  Blower. 

"I  wonder  if  they  really  were  killed?"  said 
Roger.  "  If  it's  true,  what  an  awful  death  to 
die !  " 

"  Men  before  now  have  been  killed  by  land- 
slides," said  Tom  Dillon.  "  And  just  remember, 
we  ain't  out  of  it  ourselves,  yet,"  he  added, 
gravely. 

Larry  Jaley  was  cared  for  and  given  something 
to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  then  he  told  his  story. 
The  landslide  had  come  upon  his  whole  crowd 
without  warning  and  he  had  escaped  by  what  was 
little  short  of  a  miracle.  The  sight  had  so  weak- 
ened and  sickened  him  that  he  had  rushed  away, 
not  knowing  in  what  direction,  until  he  had  come 
to  our  friends'  camp. 

"  Jest  help  me  to  git  off  o'  this  mountain  an'  I 
296 


THE  NEW  CLAIM— CONCLUSION      297 

won't  never  follow  ye  ag'in,"  he  whined,  to  the 
miners  and  the  boys.  "  Jest  help  me  to  git  away, 
thet'sall!" 

"  You  can  take  your  chances  with  the  rest  of  us, 
Jaley,"  answered  Tom  Dillon,  somewhat  sternly. 
"  And  you  mind  how  you  behave  yourself,  too !  " 
he  added,  by  way  of  a  warning. 

By  the  following  morning  the  scare  was  over, 
and  the  boys  took  Abe  Blower  and  Tom  Dillon 
into  the  upper  entrance  to  the  mine.  Just  a  brief 
examination  was  made,  but  it  was  sufficient  to 
prove  to  the  old  prospectors  that  the  lads  had 
really  rediscovered  the  lost  Landslide  Mine. 
Then  the  old  miners  put  up  the  proper  stakes,  as 
a  new  claim  for  Mrs.  Morr. 

In  the  meantime,  Larry  Jaley  had  been  given 
some  stores  and  told  to  go  about  his  business. 
Abe  Blower  had  directed  him  to  a  trail  to  the 
southward.  This  was  a  long  way  around,  but  the 
trail  seemed  to  be  perfectly  safe,  and  Jaley  was 
only  too  glad  to  take  to  it.  It  was  the  last  the 
boys  saw  of  the  man. 

"  And  now  to  get  back  to  town  and  establish 
this  claim,"  said  Roger,  some  time  later. 
"Won't  my  folks  be  pleased!"  And  his  face 
showed  his  satisfaction. 

"  And  then  to  get  to  Yellowstone  Park  for  a 
good  time!"  returned  Dave.  "We'll  have  to 
wire  the  folks  that  we  are  coming." 


298    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

The  journey  down  the  mountainside  was  by  no 
means  easy,  and  it  took  the  party  two  days  to  get 
to  a  point  where  traveling  on  horseback  was  safe. 
When  they  came  down  they  kept  their  eyes  open 
for  some  sign  of  Merwell,  Haskers,  and  Blugg, 
but  all  they  found  was  a  portion  of  the  latter's 
camping  outfit  and  the  body  of  one  of  their 
horses. 

"  Poor  chaps !  They  must  be  buried  under 
tons  and  tons  of  earth  and  rocks!"  murmured 
Dave. 

"  It  certainly  looks  like  it,"  answered  Phil. 

"What  a  fearful  end!"  said  Roger,  with  a 
shudder. 

The  coming  of  our  friends  into  Black  Cat  Camp 
created  quite  a  stir,  and  many  wanted  to  learn  the 
particulars  of  the  landslide.  These  were  told  in 
detail,  but  not  a  word  was  said  about  relocating 
the  lost  mine. 

"  The  news  will  leak  out  soon  enough,"  said 
Tom  Dillon.  "  We  want  the  cream  of  the  chanct 
up  there."  It  may  be  as  well  to  state  that  he  had 
located  a  claim  for  himself  on  one  side  of  the 
Morr  claim,  and  Abe  Blower  had  located  a  claim 
on  the  other  side. 

As  soon  as  the  boys  got  back  to  Butte  the  claims 
were  properly  filed,  and  the  lads  lost  no  time  in 
sending  off  half  a  dozen  telegrams  and  letters. 
Then  they  took  a  good  wash  and  changed  their 


THE  NEW  CLAIM— CONCLUSION      299 

rough  mining  clothing  for  more  presentable 
suits. 

"  And  now  for  a  first-class,  six-course  dinner!  " 
cried  Phil.  "  I  say,  doesn't  it  feel  good  to  get 
back  to  civilization  again!  " 

"  It  certainly  does,"  answered  Dave.  "  But 
I'll  feel  more  at  home  when  we  join  the  folks  in 
the  Park." 

"Huh!  you're  thinking  of  Jessie!"  cried  the 
shipowner's  son,  slyly,  and  at  this  "  knock  "  Dave 
blushed  deeply. 

The  boys  had  hardly  eaten  their  dinner  when 
there  came  a  telegram  from  Senator  Morr. 

"  Listen  to  this,  boys!  "  cried  Roger,  and  read 
the  following: 

"  Good  news  received  and  we  are  much  de- 
lighted. You  boys  are  certainly  wonders.  Will 
await  letter  with  interest." 

"  I  wish  I  could  have  seen  mother's  face  when 
dad  read  my  message  to  her,"  went  on  the  sena- 
tor's son,  wistfully.  Later  on  he  received  a  letter 
written  by  both  his  parents  in  which  they  told  of 
the  joy  the  news  had  brought.  Later  still,  the 
newly-located  mine  was  opened,  under  the  direc- 
tions of  Abe  Blower  and  Tom  Dillon,  and  the 
three  claims  were  thrown  into  one,  a  stock-com- 
pany being  formed  for  that  purpose,  with  Senator 
Morr  as  president.     Both  Dave  and  Phil  were 


3oo    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

given  stock  in  the  mining  company,  and  it  paid 
very  well. 

"  Now,  if  only  your  father  can  hold  his  posi- 
tion," said  Dave,  to  Roger,  one  day,  "  your  folks 
will  be  well  fixed." 

"  He  is  going  to  try  to  hold  it,  in  spite  of  his 
political  enemies,"  answered  Roger.  And  this 
Senator  Morr  eventually  did,  being  elected  to  an- 
other term  at  Washington. 

It  was  a  happy  day  for  the  three  boys  when  they 
bade  good-by  to  Abe  Blower  and  Tom  Dillon  and 
left  Butte  to  go  to  Yellowstone  Park.  The  old 
miners  were  sorry  to  part  with  the  lads. 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  be  back  here  some  day!  " 
cried  Roger. 

"Surest  thing  you  know!  "  added  Dave. 

They  had  already  sent  word  ahead  as  to  what 
train  they  were  taking,  and  when  they  arrived  at 
Livingston  they  found  Dunston  Porter  on  hand  to 
greet  them.  Then  a  quick  run  was  made  to 
Gardiner,  and  there  all  took  a  stage  into  the  Park 
to  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel. 

"  There  they  are !     I  see  them !  "  cried  Laura. 

M  Oh,  look  how  sunburnt  they  are !  "  exclaimed 
Jessie,  and  then  both  girls  made  a  wild  dash  from 
the  hotel  veranda  to  where  the  stage  was  stopping. 
In  the  meantime,  Dave  had  jumped  from  the  seat 
and  soon  he  was  shaking  hands  with  Jessie  and 


THE  NEW  CLAIM— CONCLUSION      301 

had  kissed  his  sister.  Then  the  others  came  up, 
and  there  was  general  rejoicing. 

"  We  have  been  around  the  Park  once,  on  a 
stage,"  said  Laura. 

"  But  we  are  going  again,  on  horseback  and 
to  camp  out!  "  declared  Jessie. 

"  Fine!  "  cried  Dave.     "  Couldn't  be  better!  " 

"And  to  think  you  found  that  mine!"  cried 
Laura,  to  Roger.  "  Oh,  how  glad  I  was  to  hear 
it!" 

"  We  were  all  glad !  "  put  in  Mrs.  Wadsworth. 

"  And  you  shot  a  mountain  lion!  "  cried  Jessie. 
"Oh,  Dave!"  And  she  fairly  beamed  on  the 
youth. 

"  I  suppose  you'll  be  after  fresh  adventures 
before  long,"  said  Dunston  Porter,  with  a  twinkle 
in  his  eyes. 

"  Maybe,"  answered  Dave.  "  But  I  think  I'll 
be  content  to  stay  here  for  a  bit  and  take  it  easy," 
and  he  smiled  openly  at  Jessie,  who  had  to  turn 
away  to  hide  her  blushes. 

What  next  befell  our  hero  will  be  related  in 
another  volume,  to  be  entitled  "  Dave  Porter  at 
Bear  Camp;  or,  The  Wild  Man  of  Mirror 
Lake."  In  that  we  shall  learn  the  particulars  of 
a  queer  mystery  and  what  Dave  did  towards 
solving  it. 

It  was  certainly  a  happy  gathering,  and  the  boys 
were  sorry  that  Ben  and  Shadow  and  some  of  the 


302    DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  GOLD  FIELDS 

others  were  not  there  to  enjoy  it.  But  they  had 
departed  for  the  East  with  the  others  on  the  per- 
sonally-conducted tour. 

"  You'll  have  to  tell  us  the  whole  story  from 
beginning  to  end,"  said  Laura  to  her  brother. 
"  Jessie  and  Belle  and  I  are  just  dying  to  hear 
every  word  of  it." 

"  Poor  Link  Merwell !  "  sighed  Belle  Endicott. 
"  I  feel  sorry  for  his  folks !  " 

"  Yes,  what  a  fearful  ending  for  Merwell  and 
for  Haskers,  too !  "  murmured  Laura. 

"And  so  you  will  be  rich  after  all,  Roger!" 
cried  Laura. 

"  Yes,  and  I  am  very  thankful,"  returned  the 
senator's  son,  and  then  he  took  a  long  walk  with 
Laura,  while  Dave  paired  off  with  Jessie,  and  Phil 
went  with  Belle.  The  young  friends  had  a  great 
deal  to  tell  each  other,  and  nobody  thought  of  dis- 
turbing them. 

"  Well,  it  certainly  was  some  trip,"  said  Phil, 
to  Dunston  Porter,  Mrs.  Wadsworth,  and  Belle. 
"  And  that  landslide !  Excuse  me  from  falling 
in  with  one  of  those  again!  "  And  he  shook  his 
head  gravely. 

"  You  can  be  thankful  you  were  not  buried 
alive,"  said  Mrs.  Wadsworth.  Belle  said  noth- 
ing, but  she  looked  at  Phil  in  a  manner  that 
warmed  his  heart. 

That  evening  all  of  the  party  had  a  grand  cele- 


THE  NEW  CLAIM— CONCLUSION      303 

bration  at  the  hotel.  Every  one  was  in  the  best 
of  spirits,  and  the  boys  fairly  outdid  themselves 
telling  jokes  and  funny  stories. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  it  was  a  trip  well  worth  taking," 
said  Roger,  when  about  to  retire. 

"  So  it  was,"  declared  our  hero.  And  here  we 
will  leave  Dave  Porter  and  say  good-by. 


THE   END 


DAVE   PORTER   SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 
12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    $1.25  per  volume 


DAVE  PORTER 

ON 


"Mr.  Stratemeyer  has  seldom  introduced  a 
more  popular  hero  than  Dave  Porter.  He  is  a 
typical  boy,  manly,  brave,  always  ready  for  a 
good  time  if  it  can  be  obtained  in  an  honorable 
way." — Evening  Wisconsin,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

"Edward  Stratemeyer's  'Dave  Porter'  has 
become  exceedingly  popular." — Boston  Globe. 

"Dave  and  his  friends  are  nice,  manly  chaps." 
—  Times-Democrat,  New  Orleans. 


DAVE  PORTER  AT  OAK  HALL 

Or  The  Schooldays  of  an  American  Boy 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEAS 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Stormy  Petrel 

DAVE  PORTER'S  RETURN  TO  SCHOOL 

Or  Winning  the  Medal  of  Honor 

DAVE  PORTER  IN  THE  FAR  NORTH 

Or  The  Pluck  of  an  American  Schoolboy 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  CLASSMATES 

Or  For  the  Honor  of  Oak  Hall 

DAVE  PORTER  AT  STAR  RANCH 

Or  The  Cowboy's  Secret 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  HIS  RIVALS 

Or  The  Chums  and  Foes  of  Oak  Hall 

DAVE  PORTER  ON  CAVE  ISLAND 

Or  A  Schoolboy's  Mysterious  Mission 

DAVE  PORTER  AND  THE  RUNAWAYS 

Or  Last  Days  at  Oak  Hall 


LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  CO.,  Publishers,  Boston 


THE   LAKEPORT  SERIES 

By  EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 
12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    $1.25  per  volume 


•'The  author  of  the  Lakeport  Series,  Mr.  Ed- 
ward Stratemeyer,  is  well  known  for  his  delightful 
boys'  stories." — Philadelphia  Ledger. 

"The  Lakeport  Series,  by  Edward  Strate- 
meyer, is  the  lineal  descendant  of  the  bettei 
class  of  boys'  books  of  a  generation  ago." — 
Christian  Advocate,  New  York. 

' '  The  Lakeport  Series  will  be  fully  as  popular 
as  the  author's  Dave  Porter  Series." — San  Fran- 
cisco Call. 


THE  GUN  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Island  Camp 

THE  BASEBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Winning  Run 

THE  BOAT  CLUB  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  The  Water  Champions 

THE  FOOTBALL  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  More  Goals  Than  One 

THE  AUTOMOBILE  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  A  Run  for  Fun  and  Fame 

THE  AIRCRAFT  BOYS  OF  LAKEPORT 

Or  Rivals  of  the  Clouds 


LOTHROP,  LEE  &  SHEPARD  CO.,  Publishers,  Boston 


MEXICAN  WAR  SERIES 

By    EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

VOLUME  ONE 
FOR  THE  LIBERTY  OF  TEXAS 

12mo    Cloth     Illustrated     Price,  $1.25 

MUCH  is  told  here  of  Sam  Houston,  Davy 
Crockett,  Colonel  Bowie,  and  other  Texan 
heroes  in  connection  with  the  entertaining  story 
of  the  fortunes  of  two  brothers,  Dan  and  Ralph 
Radbury.  The  fall  of  the  Alamo  is  introduced, 
and  other  famous  incidents. 

VOLUME  TWO 

WITH  TAYLOR  ON  THE 

RIO  GRANDE 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price,  $1.25 

AS  with  each  of  the  series,  this  is  a  complete  story,  but  continues  the 
adventures  of  the  patriotic  young  Radbury  brothers.  They  serve 
under  General  Taylor  at  Palo  Alto,  Monterey,  and  Buena  Vista  and  share 
in  the  glory  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready." 

VOLUME  THREE 
UNDER  SCOTT  IN  MEXICO 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price,  $1.25 

IN  the  concluding  volume   of  this  valuable  historical  series   Dan  and 
Ralph  come  under  the  command  of  Gen.   Winfield  Scott  and  finally 
bear  their  part  in  the  triumphant  entry  of  the  proud  city  of  Mexico. 


These  books  were  first  issued  under  a  pen  name  and  by  another 
publisher.  We  have  now  placed  them  in  the  regular  list  of  this  unequaled 
writer  for  boys,  with  an  entirely  new  cover  design  in  keeping  with  the 
uniformly  rich  appearance  of  our  Stratemeyer  books. 


"  There  are  few  live  boys  in  tne  country  -who  have  not  read  the  intensely 
interesting  books  of  Mr.  Stratemeyer,  and  who  do  not  have  a  warm  place  in  their 
hearts  tor  nim.  No  living  American  writer  of  boys'  books  is  so  widely  read,  and 
none  so  sure  of  a  cordial  welcome  for  everything  that  comes  from  his  pen."— 
Chicago  News- 


The  boys*  delight— the  "  Old  Glory  Series."—  The  Christian  Advocate,  N.T. 

THE  OLD  GLORY  SERIES 

BY   EDWARD   STRATEMEYER 

FIRST  VOLUME 

UNDER  DEWEY  AT  MANILA 

Or  The  War  Fortunes  of  a  Castaway 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THIS  book,  published  in  September,  1898,  at  once  sprang  to  the  front 
as  the  greatest  success  among  books  for  boys  since  the  famous  Army 
and  Navy  series  by  "  Oliver  Optic,"  and  its  popularity  has  steadily  in- 
creased as  the  succeeding  volumes  of  the  series  have  appeared. 

Edward  Stratemeyer  weaves  the  incidents  of  the  naval  conflict  at  Manila  Into  a 
narrative  of  experiences  and  adventure  which  is  wholesome  in  spirit  and  full  of 
excitement,  and  which  the  boys  will  like.  —  Congregationalist. 

SECOND  VOLUME 

A  YOUNG  VOLUNTEER  IN  CUBA 

Or  Fighting  for  the  Single  Star 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

THE  career  of  Larry  Russell,  as  recorded  in  "  Under  Dewey  at 
Manila,"  was  the  hit  of  the  season  among  juveniles.  The  fortunes 
of  Larry  are  equalled  in  interest  by  the  adventures  of  Ben,  his  older 
brother,  and  his  friend,  Gilbert  Pennington,  and  the  many  exciting  scenes 
through  which  they  passed  during  their  service  in  the  army.  Ben  enlisted 
in  a  New  York  volunteer  regiment,  while  Gilbert  joined  Colonel  Roosevelt's 
famous  Rough  Riders.  Their  life  in  camp,  the  capture  of  El  Caney,  the 
charge  at  San  Juan  hill,  are  all  vividly  described. 

Mr.  Stratemeyer's  boys  are  clean,  manly  fellows,  and  deserve  the  popularity 
which  doubtless  awaits  them.  —  Christian  Register. 

THIRD  VOLUME 

FIGHTING  IN  CUBAN  WATERS 

Or  Under  Schley  on  the  "Brooklyn  " 

Cloth    Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Price  $1.25 

FT  this  book  Walter  Russell,  brother  to  Larry  and  Ben,  the  respective 
heroes  of  the  two  preceding  volumes  of  the  series,  finds  his  way  to 
Boston,  secures  employment,  enlists  in  the  navy,  and  is  assigned  to  the 
"  Brooklyn."  Then  follow  intensely  interesting  chapters,  telling  of  Com- 
modore Schley,  the  routine  life  of  the  "  Jackies,"  and  blockade  and  dis- ' 
covery  of  Cervera's  fleet,  followed  by  the  memorable  conflict  of  July  3. 

"  Fighting  in  Cuban  Waters  "  is  in  the  same  hearty,  manly  spirit  that  has  made 
the  other  volumes  of  the  Old  Glory  Series  so  much  liked.  —  Sfountal  of  Education. 


OLD  GLORY  S 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

FOURTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  OTIS  m  THE  PHILIPPINES 

Or  A  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

THE  "  Young  Officer  in  the  Tropics  "  is  none  other  than  our  old  friend 
Ben  Russell,  who  upon  reenlisting  for  service  in  the  Philippines  is 
jgiven  the  same  position,  that  of  second  lieutenant,  to  which  he  had  beeD 
promoted  for  gallantry  while  "  A  Young  Volunteer  in  Cuba." 

Mr.  Stratemeyer  is  in  a  class  by  himself  when  it  comes  to  writing  about  AtOtA 
can  heroes,  their  brilliant  doings  on  land  and  sea,  —  Times,  Boston, 

FIFTH  VOLUME 

THE  CAMPAIGN  OF  THE  JUNGLE 

Or  Under  Laivton  through  Luzon 

Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

BEN  and  Larry  figure  in  the  "  Campaign  of  the  Jungle,'1  which  has  a 
truthful  and  graphic  historical  setting  in  two  expeditions  of  the  noble 
General  Lawton,  whose  portrait  adorns  the  cover,  the  first  being  that  di- 
rected against  Santa  Cruz  on  the  Laguna  de  Bay,  and  the  second  from 
Manila  to  San  Isidro,  through  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  jungle.  The 
same  sterling  qualities  that  have  made  these  brothers  so  well  liked  carry 
them  through  perilous  scenes  with  true  American  fortitude, 
A  good  war  Story.  —  San  Francisco  Bulletin. 

SIXTH  VOLUME 

UNDER  MACARTHUR  IN  LUZON 

Or  Last  Battles  in  the  Philippines 

12mo    Cloth    llustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute    Medallion  cover 
320  pages    $1.25 

WE  have  here  a  thoroughly  up-to-date,  clean,  and  entertaining  beys' 
story,  complete  in  itself,  but  forming  the  sixth  and  last  volume  of 
the  u  Old  Glory  "  Series.  The  boys  in  all  parts  of  the  country  have  been 
anxiously  waiting  to  learn  the  final  fortunes  of  the  three  Russell  brothers, 
Larry,  Walter,  and  Ben,  with  scarcely  less  interest  in  Gilbert  Pennington, 
hero  of  "On  to  Pekin,"  and  not  forgetting  other  old  friends  on  land  and 
sea.  All  are  here,  doing  their  duty  in  the  same  straightforward  way  as 
ever;  and  the  final  battles  in  the  Philippines  are  followed  with  that  acct> 
racy  of  statement  which  Mr.  Stratemeyer  always  employs,  thereby  giving 
general  value  to  his  books  without  in  the  least  impairing  the  interest  of  the 
story. 

Maintains  the  high  standard  in  attractive  carratCoa  which  was  set  by  the  fi»S 
volume*    fi»  sSz  books  maie  a  complete  *id  <yaiss&Is  osUottiafc,  -=■  Jftm  1*** 

World.. 


PAN-AMERICAN  SERIES 

By  EDWARD  STRATEMEYER 

VOLUME  ONB 

LOST  ON  THE  ORINOCO 

Or  American  Boys  in  Venezuela 

12mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1.25 

THIS  volume  tells  of  five  American  youths,  who,  with  their  tutor,  sail 
from  New  York  to  La  Guayra,  touching  at  Curacao  on  the  way. 
They  visit  Caracas,  go  westward  to  the  Gulf  of  Maracaibo  and  lake  of 
the  same  name,  and  at  last  find  themselves  in  the  region  of  the  mighty 
Orinoco,  and  of  course  they  have  some  exciting  experiences,  one  of  which 
gives  name  to  the  book. 

Its  pictures  of  South  American  life  and  scenery  are  novel  and  instructive.— 
The  Literary  World ',  Boston. 

The  scenes  described  are  of  the  sort  to  charm  the  hearts  of  adventurous  boys.— 
The  Outlook,  If.  r. 

VOLUME  TWO 

THE  YOUNG  VOLCANO  EXPLORERS 

Or  American  Boys  in  the  West  Indies 

!2mo    Cloth    Illustrated    Price  $1,25 

THE  boys,  with  their  tutor,  sail  from  Venezuela  to  the  West  Indies, 
stopping  at  Jamaica,  Cuba,  Hayti,  and  Porto  Rico.  They  have 
numerous  adventures  on  the  way,  and  then  set  out  for  St.  Pierre,  Mar- 
tinique, where  they  encounter  the  effects  of  the  eruption  of  Mt.  Pelee, 
and  two  of  the  boys  are  left  on  a  raft  to  shift  for  themselves-  Life  in  the 
West  Indies  is  well  portrayed. 

VOLUME  THREE 

YOUNG  EXPLORERS  OF  THE  ISTHMUS 
Or  American  Boys  in  Central  America 

306  pages     Cloth     Illustrated  by  A.  B.  Shute     Price  $1.25 

DELATES  adventures  in  a  tour  covering  Nicaragua,  Costa  Rica, 
*  *■  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  The  party  travel  the  various  canal 
routes,  and  have  a  number  of  highly  interesting  experiences.  The  vol- 
ume contains  a  vast  amount  of  timely  information,  and  will  be  read  witb 
interest  by  young  men  as  well  as  boys. 


SCHOOL  OF  INFORMATION 
AND  LIBRARY  SCIENCE 

THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


